The Sound of My Vendetta
by Maereland
Summary: Sequel to "My Life, My Hell". Tundra and Nightcrawler find themselves pursued by shadows believed to have been left behind. Many choices rest ahead for the two mutant lovers, some more difficult than others. In a world that is full of people who despise their kind-and an enemy once thought gone still lurking in the darkness-they may not have a lot of time to ponder the outcomes.
1. Chapter One: Hold Your Heart

The Sound of My Vendetta

Chapter One: Hold Your Heart

"_Zum Geburtstag _(Happy Birthday), Evelyn," whispered a deep voice rolling ever so charmingly with a German accent into the ear of Evelyn Dimitru. Mumbling something short of a curse or sheer incoherence, the pale woman of now twenty-five years of age pulled the plush duvet over her head to block out the rays of sunlight that peeked through the curtained window.

The toned chest pressed against her back shook in spasm with his chuckles as his arms wrapped about her waist lovingly. Her hands found his forearms, and she ran her fingers through his fine fur with a contented sigh while his body seemed to press perfectly against hers like sculpted perfection.

"Please don't make me get up from bed, Kurt. It's cold outside and you're so warm..." she pleaded softly, a smile gracing her pale face as she felt his chin rest on her shoulder gently. He leant down slightly and moved the strap of her nightdress down to kiss her bare shoulder tenderly, smiling to himself as he felt goose pimples spread across her skin.

"I wish I could, _mein Geliebter _(my love). However," he sighed as he sat up and left his girlfriend chilled and now grumpy while wrapped adorably in the comforter, "I have to go to work. Luckily today there won't be too many papers to grade and we can go out to dinner tonight like I promised. The reservations have been made and it will only be a matter of how in awe I will be when I see you."

"You spoil me, Kurt!"

With a sly grin, he loomed over her for a moment before capturing her lips in a heated but chaste kiss.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Evelyn."

After, he stood straight with a charming grin aimed at her before elegantly walking into the master bedroom's bathroom.

It wasn't too long after that Evelyn heard the shower turn on. She sat up in bed, running dainty fingers through her dark locks as her azure eyes passed over the bedroom like they did every morning since she'd woken up on her first day of living with Kurt.

Shocked? She was too.

It was about a year ago that he surprised her. They had been dating for about three years then, and the overall adaptation to having her father back and getting into the groove of a more balanced life caught up to Evelyn, so Kurt had an idea to help her see more of the world beyond the mansion as well as to find a way to strengthen their relationship.

She had been tidying up the papers from a test the kids had taken earlier in the day, and she cracked her neck with a disgruntled sigh just before Kurt seemed to appear from the very darkness that had crept into the room at dusk. Quite subtly, she'd noted, he pressed her against the wall and whispered in her ear things she'd rather blush and fret about than speak of in even her most vulnerable moments.

And among those words, he asked her to live with him in a house.

Just like a couple, a family.

She was terrified beyond rational belief.

The money, the bills, the maintenance, the cleaning, the work, their jobs, the personal space…

The personal space.

There would be none at all. No closure or time to herself at all. She'd spend all of her time with him at work, home, work, home, work, home, work, home, work, home—God, she'd go mad with the repetition!

_However_, she thought with a dreamer's grin as her eyes passed over the vase full of white and pink roses on the bedside table on her side of the king-sized mattress, _I don't see any signs of me going mad when this was probably the best decision for me to make. I've never been so happy…_

"I feel like such a sap!" she exclaimed dramatically as she fell back on the ever-so-fluffy pillows behind her.

"What about sap?"

Her eyes shot to were he was, standing at the bathroom door with an absolutely curious face in a towel and his wet hair slicked back. Heat blossomed in her chest as she attempted to be nonchalant by looking away calmly despite the discomfort blocking her thought process.

"I meant—Syrup, yeah. I'll pick some up while you're at work for breakfast tomorrow. I'll make waffles and eggs and even some bacon if you'd like."

He smiled so devilishly, so charming that it made her feel almost voyeur.

She did not give a damn.

"I'll even buy some fresh coffee grounds from the market," _Because I know how much you love fresh coffee and holy damn you are the most beautiful creature on the face of this planet and beyond and _WHY. DO. YOU. TEASE. ME? "Probably some fruits, also."

_Stop teasing me you fucking—Oh wow his chest looks nice from this angle. _

"Are you alright? You seem really distracted by something…" He took a few steps closer to her, the sheen of moist now visible on him.

"Distracted? I'm fine, Kurt. It's just—Hey, how about I get you your thermos for work? I'll pack your lunch," she offered quickly while she shot up from the bed and began a rushed walk to the door.

She bounded down the hall in quick strides, nearly busting down the kitchen door as she entered. She shakily opened up the cabinet and pulled out an insulated thermos that she used to put Kurt's usual morning coffee in, setting it on the counter.

While getting the grounds and setting up the coffee maker, Evelyn settled her thoughts while occupying herself.

No matter if they had been living together for nearly a year, she could not shake that shy feeling of a schoolgirl whenever he was shirtless or things began to get steamy. They've been a couple for four years and they had yet to—

"Fuck!" she cursed as she accidentally brushed her elbow against the coffee machine while it was doing its job, effectively searing the skin for a moment.

_Nicely said, _she thought sourly with a childish glare directed to the offending appliance.

….:The Sound of My Vendetta:….

The event that it was indeed her birthday seemed to spread around the Xavier Institute like wildfire, many old colleagues taking it upon themselves to remind Kurt to give her their wishes and gifts by piling them on him like Christmas come early for a private affair.

Kurt was then reminded about his plans for Evelyn and himself later.

It brought a bright grin to his face, which spiked the curiosity of Kitty as she walked by his open classroom. The students were in their lunch period, leaving most of the teachers to eat their own meals or to get a head start on grading papers to lessen the load later on after work.

Kurt was avidly in the process of doing both actions.

"Isn't someone a busy worker today?" She wanted to taunt Kurt today, knowing how excited he was on the inside. He had to keep a calm exterior so that Emma didn't try and get any ideas to make him stay. In a moment, the woman could become that cruel.

The distracted mutant paused in his grading as he broke into an ecstatic grin, releasing the bottled up excitement since he was in the presence of his girlfriend's best buddy in the mansion.

Kitty's eyes hovered over the small collection of gifts next to Kurt's desk which were meant for Evelyn when he got off work and grinned right back to the blue male. She was happy for the both of them, and happy at the fact that she knew this would happen all along.

She had yet to taunt Evelyn about it, too.

Back in the comfy home of Kurt and Evelyn, the birthday girl held a tissue to her nose as she sneezed into it for what seemed like the millionth time that day. She instinctively blamed it on the dust as she worked on lowering the Christmas decorations from the attic to start adorning the house to surprise Kurt when he arrived home.

Christmas was literally in a few days, her birthday being on the nineteenth. It really unnerved her, considering that no one had known of her birthday until her father moved into the mansion three-and-a-half years ago. He practically shouted the news to the world, unbelievably happy that he would be able to see his daughter for her birthday.

Let's just say that Kurt was not amused to know that she had purposely kept her birthday a secret from everyone.

So, to show his disagreement with her actions, he had thrown her an extravagant party, to her father's grand pleasure and Evelyn's own horror. She hated people fussing over her as if she were a famous celebrity or a sickly person who deserved such an honor. The pale woman would only have liked for a quiet night enjoying a classic film with Kurt and perhaps a friend or two.

But a party was out of the question.

She did end up having a bit of fun, considering Kurt had made sure they played one of her favorite films.

Just sitting there with a scowl on her face, Evelyn seemed to ignore Kurt for most of the night because of what he had done to her so long ago. But when she looked at the large screen projecting the opening scenes of Casablanca, she didn't seem so angry anymore.

And Storm had baked her red velvet cake, her favorite, so perhaps having a party to celebrate her existence once a year wasn't such a bad thing, but Evelyn still saw it as a waste of time until Kitty changed her mind later on.

"The reason we worked so hard for this day is because you're a part of our family. When you are a part of a family, every birthday is like a miniature holiday just for that person who changed your life, even if they think they hadn't done much. I know you think celebrating you is a waste of time, but if you ask anyone in that room why they would do such a pointless thing, they'll all say that it's because you're a part of our lives and you've impacted us so that we love you like you are a part of our family. You _are_ a part of our family. You're our Tundra!"

Normally from a statement like that, Evelyn would scowl at the young mutant. This time, however, she smiled and hugged her friend in thanks before walking over to kiss Kurt on the cheek while whispering heartfelt thanks into his ear.

She was a part of this family, and she could imagine no greater family in the world.

Shaking her head from those memories, Evelyn continued unpacking the boxes of decorations slowly while a nagging carol replayed itself in her head.

The only real things left in the cardboard boxes were ornaments for the tree that they were planning on getting during the week before Christmas, so she stacked the boxes back into the attic, leaving the small ornament cases on the dining table.

She mentally checked her To-Do List of the day and found herself done with everything she had planned.

But Kurt did say to be ready and dressed for dinner before he got home so they could make reservations… So how long did she have again?

Looking at the clock, she spotted about two hours.

I could rush things a bit, she thought with a gentle smile.

…:The Sound of My Vendetta:…

Putting down the last present onto the floor inside the house, Kurt sighed at the familiar warmth as he shut the front door. He gingerly hung his coat on the hook by the door before looking down the small corridor leading to the living room. He shut off his inducer as he walked down the hall, the curious scent of pine lingering in the air.

Evelyn was decorating the main room's mantle with the ornaments they had bought two years ago. Ever since she had celebrated Christmas in the mansion, she had been obsessed with the thought of having a great time every year. Of course, Kurt didn't complain at all, since it helped her become more open and cheerful.

She was wearing an elegantly low cut dress that was black with decorative lacing at the hem. It reached her knees and tightened at the waist, which accentuated her frame magnificently. Small straps rested on her pale shoulders, and crimson stilettos popped for color at her feet.

"You know how to make a statement, _mein Geliebter _(my lover)," he stated as his arms wrapped around her waist gently. He felt her shiver as his chin rested on her shoulder, and he could smell the traces of her perfume which always felt of flowers in one way or another.

"How do you like the house?" she breathed, giggling softly as she was spun around and pressed against his chest.

"You did a wonderful job. When we bring in the tree, it will truly be a wonderland."

She ran her hand along his cheek, smiling softly as she traced his cheekbone with a distracted look. He looked at her to see if she was alright, but saw the look on her face and he pulled her small frame closer to his.

"I know you're still bothered by what happened with your father those years ago, but I'm sure it ended there. I hear you mumbling about it in your sleep, so don't look at me like that—," he commented on her adorable scowl and crinkled nose, "So let's just go out there and paint the town red… or blue in my case, ja?"

She laughed at his pun, her eyes lighting up with stars. Kurt applauded himself on the inside.

"I like blue better anyway, too much red hurts my eyes," she added as he took her hand to lead her outside.

"Evelyn, I will make this a night to remember. Trust me."

And she did.

…:The Sound of My Vendetta:…

"So… does this mean we have an agreement, sir?" came a voice tinted with a mixture of European accents. The man sitting on the chair across from the owner of this voice nodded slowly before rising, which let the moonlight from outside catch his silver-white hair.

"Yes, of course it does. If I may ask however, what is your personal grudge with the Dimitru family? I barely knew of them myself, and I have been an enemy to the X-Men for a long time."

"My family and theirs have always had their… differences, but I decided a while ago that it would end with us. One of our families will continue to exist, but I can assure you, it will not be the Dimitru," he hissed vehemently in reply.

After his companion had left, the European man slammed his fist on the table angrily, glaring at the moon through the barred window of the basement. "The Mazzonet family will rise over yours, Giorgio Dimitru… I swear on it."

Outside of the abandoned complex, the white-haired man met up with a young woman with blonde hair and hazel eyes. Smiling in an oddly cruel way, the girl walked toward the man with a familiar sway. He greeted her with a nod, to which she responded with another smile.

"So what did that idiot want?"

"Now Raven, we were only making a deal of sorts. It could come to our advantage against the X-Men," chastised.

"Eric, I don't like how this sounds. And you know me, I am quite familiar with shady people. He wants to kill the Dimitru, and you know I have no problem with beating her little face to a pulp. I don't like how he said it," she explained slowly as her features changed to blue skin, golden eyes, and red hair styled in a bob.

"It's not of our business, and _he _will not be put in danger. I'll make sure of it."

And with their conversation over, the two vanished into the night with snow falling down from the sky.

**There you have it, the beginning of the sequel to My Life, My Hell! I hoped you liked it and will continue reading as I post the chapters. **

**Another announcement is that I am writing an original work that was created among me and a couple of other friends. I've worked on this story plot since I was about ten, but I've obviously worked it out over the years and it's matured as I have. I would love to see some of my readers look at this and see how it is, because I plan on perhaps putting some ideas into a novel I plan on publishing. **

**Thank you for your reviews on my other stories, and I love all of you who take time to tell me what you think. It makes me want to keep writing just to make you guys happier. **


	2. Chapter Two: Hallelujah

The Sound of My Vendetta

Chapter Two: Hallelujah

**I know it's been a while since you've gotten an update from me, and I apologize. My computer whacked out again and I only have access to my iTunes music player and Microsoft Word among other basic desktop applications. No internet at all. Therefore, I am forced to type as much as I can on my own computer in hopes that I may soon have the opportunity to get onto my dad's laptop with my USB to transfer my work into my account for you guys. Thankfully, I've written quite a bit and since I finally have some time to get into the laptop, you'll have lots of things to read that will help you forgive me for my apparent inactivity. **

**Once again, I am sorry for making you readers wait for me. You guys mean the world to me, you don't even know. **

**On that note, I would like to give a shout out to 'YourPersonalBadassXD', who left me the most endearing review that made my heart swell and truly inspired me to continue doing my damned best to write for you guys. She said I inspired her, and I was touched beyond words by this notion. I'm so lucky, honored even, to have such great people enjoying my work. Thank you so much.**

**Here are the replies to those who reviewed so far:**

**OddOneVeronicaAndKat:**** Well, thank you! I like to think they're a cute but mature couple. You can't be strict adults all the time, but you can't play around all the time either. They grow along with their relationship and I hope to portray that in my writing. No need to thank me, either. I thank you for taking the time to review.**

**YourPersonalBadassXD:**** Thank you so very, very much for leaving me this review. I'm glad you told me this and you have no idea how much it means to me that I've inspired someone. In all honesty, I feel extremely honored and privileged to have someone like you as a fan! I read your work, and while it differs from my own writing and may seem a bit rushed with the relationship, I do enjoy reading it. After all, no one can resist Kurt for very long at all! As for the plot for this story, well, you'll be excited when it all unfolds. I'll make sure to blow your mind even more so than I did in "My Life, My Hell"!**

**Last note: This chapter is done in the first point of view for both Evelyn and Kurt. After every group of lyrics, it switches from one to the other, just in case there is any confusion. The song shown is "Hallelujah" and the version I originally listened to was Rufus Wainwright. **

**Thank you for your patience and here is the second chapter!**

_I've heard there was a secret chord_

_That David played and it pleased the Lord_

_But you don't really care for music, do you?_

I lifted my head from the large volume I was reading in the comfort of our room. Soft music floated throughout the house from Kurt's office and study and the piano seemed to resonate in my chest for a moment before ebbing away to a soft hum.

Considering the time, Kurt was probably still grading papers from that day's assignment from the school, and he was always the kind of teacher that graded said papers that same evening. He always stopped when it was time for dinner or for a cup of tea, though. I cannot complain about a thing when it comes to Kurt's habits.

The song seemed fitting, the familiar vocals composed and sung in the sort of way that is both memorable and inspiring. It was the kind of song deemed immortal to some and repetitive by others.

I couldn't help but let a smile float onto my face as the words hit me with cynical grace.

Leaning my head back for a moment to relax my muscles only helped to increase the tune in my mind as the lyrics continued to flow in a deep tremor, relaxing while still chilling.

_It goes like this_

_The fourth, the fifth_

_The minor fall, the major lift_

_The baffled king composing Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah…_

Grading papers was a monotonous business. This is something I quickly learned after I had become a teacher for the institute. While it was repetitive, and by now I knew every child's handwriting by memory, there was still a part of me that was excited with every page.

Things in general seemed brighter and more interesting since moving out of the mansion I had called my home for many years. Taking this leap with Evelyn was something I personally needed to do as not only her boyfriend, but as myself. It may seem abstract and odd to others, but to me, it makes perfect sense to be with her here.

And every time I go to church, whether she timidly tags along or not, I always pray for her to be happy and safe first. I then follow with prayers for friends and family, then to those who sin against those I care for as well as those who spite me.

God please help them see the light of their errors so they can open their hearts and eyes.

The rosary she gave me hangs from my wrist in its rightful place. I run my fingers over it occasionally and I utter thanks to God for giving her to me. Logan more than once called me a fool in love, but not to chide. He told me this because it was as plain as my spaded tail or blue fur.

_Your faith was strong but you needed proof_

_You saw her bathing on the roof_

_Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you_

_She tied you to a kitchen chair_

_She broke your throne, and she cut your hair_

_And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah._

_Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah…_

The curtains were open a bit to let in some moonlight, only enhancing the paleness of my skin against the gorgeous night sky. The room was wrapped in darkness save for the soft light from the crack in the curtains and the blaring green numbers of the digital clock.

The day is Friday. _11:45_ p.m.

I let a small curse fall from my lips as I stood to remind Kurt that he wasn't going to spend all night hunched over schoolwork he didn't need to have graded until Monday. "I want to finish early so we can spend time together!" he says. "If you overwork yourself, you'll be too tired to spend time with me, you know!" I say.

I slowly stood from my comfortable seat while my eyes never left the small sliver of light from the moon. I wrapped my thin robe over my nightgown and exited the room to begin my march toward my workaholic boyfriend.

_Baby I've been here before_

_I know this room, I've walked this floor_

_I used to live alone before I knew you._

_I've seen your flag on the marble arch_

_Love is not a victory march_

_It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah._

_Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah…_

Her head rests on my shoulder while her thin arms surround me in a gentle embrace. I find myself smiling as her breath tickles my ear, which is very distracting. She knows it, too.

My shoulders slump in defeat while I begin to stand from my seat. She has a small smile on her pink lips that I've come to interpret as a mask for a triumphant smile. I turn toward her to run my fingers through her hair gently while she watched me with those big blues of hers.

"I love you," she whispers as I kiss her lips one, twice, three times.

"And I love you."

My hand rests on her cheek gently now, and she gazes into my eyes with a feeling I could only pray to explain. Frail fingers guide blue digits down to her throat carefully, and a gasp hitches in my throat as her robe slips from her shoulder.

I kiss her deeply this time, and she responds in earnest.

_There was a time you let me know_

_What's really going on below_

_But now you never show it to me, do you?_

_And I remember when I moved in you_

_The holy dove was moving too_

_And every breath we drew was Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah…_

The next moments remain in my memory as blurs, but I came back to reality while a cold shiver rose over my skin and goose bumps had spread over me. I then realized that I wasn't cold at all, because my body in fact felt warm. It was the shocks rising up my spine that gave me the chills while Kurt nuzzled his face against my neck while we lay under our covers.

I cannot recall when or how we became completely bare and found our way under the sheets, because it was all a haze of feverish touches and kisses that left me reeling and craving for more.

I ran my hands along his arms, savoring the feel of his fur against my skin while he attacked my neck with kisses and nips that sent zaps of pleasure all the way from the crown of my head to the tips of my toes. My back arched to him as he pulled me closer than I ever thought possible. He pressed his lips to mine once again that night, his tail slowly coiling and swaying in the air as restless as his own nerves.

He moved back and looked into my eyes while I looked into his just the same. I brushed my knuckles gently along his sharp chin up to his cheek, in which he responded by laying his hand over mine and leaning his head toward the touch.

He slowly moved forward again to lean his forehead against mine while my heart began to pound in my chest. His hands were on either side of me, holding him up above me, and I felt my eyes flutter closed with a smile on my lips.

_Maybe there's a God above_

_But all I've ever learned from love_

_Was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you_

_It's not a cry you can hear at night_

_It's not somebody who has seen the light_

_It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah…_

Her body never looked so frail to me before now. The moonlight only enhanced the paleness of her skin that I had grown to love, making her glow in what seemed to be a soft blanket of light. I nearly laughed at the thought of her rolling her eyes at how cliché the words were.

On the outside, she could tell I was petrified. I wanted this just as much a she did and we both knew it. However, we are about to take a step forward that we both had little knowledge of. She was extremely patient in this aspect.

On the inside, I battled with how my belief usually frowned about something like this. But what am I supposed to do when I know I am in love? Surely God knows that I am and he sees that she is everything to me. I say a quick prayer to him to bless us both with happiness, as well as to keep us safe.

I move my head down to kiss the base of her neck softly while her hands move up and down my back soothingly. There is a soft rumbling within me, a soft purr as she does this, and it makes her smile brightly despite her nerves. I whisper in her ear just to calm her as much as I can. The smallest promises and wishes make her blush and become timid, and with a steadying breath I kiss her one more time.

Both of our bodies tense as I move into her and we become one.

_You say I took the name in vain_

_I don't even know the name_

_But if I did, well really, what's it to you?_

_There's a blaze of light in every word_

_It doesn't matter which you heard_

_The holy or the broken Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah…_

From within such pain evolved indescribable pleasure that left me winded and speechless. Kurt was my lifeline to this world, it seemed, and I held onto his body tightly while his breath hit my ears. The entire world was gone except for the two of us and it was so very frightening as well as thrilling. My legs wrapped around his hips, and his name fell from my tongue amongst my soft moans.

Both panting, we could feel that extreme heat building and fighting inside of us. Our passion sped up and rose in sound as if a symphony was reaching its peak and beat. Time seemed to stop, speed up, and slow down all at the same time while we were making love. A burning chill nestled comfortably all over my body and radiated onto Kurt as our bodies moved in this lustful rhythm.

I brushed Kurt's damp bangs back from his forehead as he brought his lips toward mine for a chaste kiss which succeeded in muffling my growing cries. His arm moved around my waist and pulled our hips closer, his movements becoming erratic.

My head fell back as our passionate anthem turned fast and I could not help but let his name erupt from me once again as I felt him roughly kissing my neck in the heat of the moment.

Every breath he took, every move he made, brought me closer to the edge.

_I did my best, it wasn't much_

_I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch_

_I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you_

_And even though it all went wrong_

_I'll stand before the Lord of Song_

_With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah…_

Evelyn's body was cool to the touch, despite her feverish cheeks and heavy breaths that I felt rocking me to my core as we neared our endings. Her skin was glowing from more than the moonlight now. A soft sheen of ice happened to cover her body, something I knew she probably had no control over considering our situation.

Every few moments, my name would be whispered from those beautiful lips. This made me love her all the more. She spoke my name so softly, like a gospel she kept to herself.

It was undeniably endearing.

I could not take my eyes off of her, not even for a moment. Nor could I keep my hands from touching her. I explored every inch and curve her petite frame held, wishing to never forget the entire perfection she was.

Our breaths became quick and labored. The end was fast approaching, and it was bittersweet to the both of us.

Evelyn's head moved to be buried against my shoulder as she pulled me closer and her grip tightened while I could feel my tail wrap about her small waist. A shuddering breath came from my lover's lips, and a soft groan was taken from me.

An amazing feeling that I could never describe in any words washed over me. She cried out my name at that moment, and I held her close as I breathed her name with such an impassioned voice I could clearly hear my Germanic accent more prominent than ever since coming to America. We hit our climax together at that moment and it was when I realized I regretted nothing in not waiting longer for this. I loved her, she loved me, and all that mattered was that we both wanted each other for love and not lust.

My body tingled pleasantly as the shockwaves ebbed away to give us a comfortable silent amongst our still heavy breathing.

She looked up at me, blushing fiercely in such an adorable way. It was rare to see Evelyn so fragile and timid. So I kissed her forehead and I stroked her cheeks before lying next to her and pulling her into my arms.

She curled her body close to mine, and I whispered "I love you".

_Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah…_

"I love you too," I replied softly while one of his hands ran up and down my back oh so lovingly. I had my head lying on his chest, my eyes closed as I listened to the soft purr that made me smile.

"May I ask you something, _mein Geliebter_?"

His tone was slightly nervous, which actually surprised me considering what we had just finished going through. I thought shyness would have flown out of the window. I simply nodded to his request, snuggling closer to his warm body and pulling the duvet closer to myself.

"I… Well, I suppose it was only a matter of time before I asked this…" he rambled while gently rubbing my arm.

I arched my brow curiously and with a soft sigh I turned to rest on my stomach to look at him with a soft smile. "You know you can ask me, right?"

The sincere look upon his face shocked me a bit, really. He usually covered up serious matters with a joke or a jest that made the room lighten its tension. Not this time, though. Seriousness practically radiated off of my darling elf.

He took my hand in his three-fingered one, and I noticed he was shivering. I used my free hand to cover him with more of the blankets in case he was cold. He continued to shiver, so that wasn't the case, but he smiled at me in thanks anyway.

I returned the smile genuinely while he seemed to ponder something for merely a moment before sitting up suddenly. He wrapped his arms around me tightly and pressed his forehead against mine, his tail loosely curling about me at the waist.

"A-as sweet as this is, Kurt, I—I don't…"

He moved his head back and cupped my cheek in his palm as if I were made of glass. He stared me right in the eyes with such a look of determination and love that I could feel my entire body burning as well as an urge to blush from the intensity.

"Marry me."

**Here is chapter two of "The Sound of My Vendetta". This was originally planned as another story (probably a one-shot) that I was going to release, but I decided to use it as the chapter where these two finally reached the next level of love besides marriage and such. While I feel that some may disagree and say that Kurt is devout in his Catholicism, let's face it… He's a flirt and he's in love with a girl that brightens his day. If you truly love someone, even the Christian god will smile upon it, I guess. **

**That's what I believe anyhow. **

**So I've already started on two other stories, and "Just Another Misfit" is in proud progress. I might redo the writing but I'm not too sure. I just don't like where it's gone and how the style seems to be. I'll think more on it. **

**I'm also working on a new comic series fanfiction that I'm sure some of you will be excited about. I can't say which series, since I want it to be a total surprise to my readers, but I will tell you the title once I finalize it. Make sure to stay tuned to my updates.**


	3. Chapter Three: For You I Will

The Sound of My Vendetta

Chapter Three: For You I Will

The glistening ring on her finger always provided Evelyn with a dose of comfort and peace whenever she spared a moment to look at it during the day. A ghost of a smile would hover on her face for a moment or two before she continued on with her previous business.

Her heart would flutter, and her insides would heat up along with those damned butterflies in her gut.

Evelyn emitted a frustrated sigh before she was able to return her eyes to the monitor resting on the dashboard of the Blackbird. Earlier in the morning, Emma had called the younger woman to assist Ororo in navigating the famous X-Jet to go and pick up a small ground team that had been sent in yesterday.

Nightcrawler was among those who were in the team. She couldn't exactly say no to such a request, either.

Being in her combat suit after months without seeing battle made her feel awkward and oddly tense, even if protocols seemed to be wired into her brain. Nothing felt out of place or uncomfortable except for tightness around the bust and the heeled boots feeling a bit more complicated than she'd remembered.

But sitting on the co-pilot's seat of the Blackbird felt like a second skin that she admittedly missed very much. The headphones sat comfortably on her head while she relayed coordinates back to Emma while Ororo helped the Romanian guide the beautiful jet to their destination.

"Kurt will be more than happy to see you in uniform, I think," Ororo jabbed with a friendly smile on her face while Evelyn had been shifting her sitting position.

The young woman covered her grinning mouth with a hand to stifle the laughter bubbling in her chest before she responded with a cheerful grin;

"I was sort of hoping to not be a distraction to our team, Storm."

The other X-Woman made a noise of agreement while she made a slight turn in alignment to the directions.

"What do you expect to see when we get there?"

"I have no idea, Tundra. The call didn't sound panicked, and neither did Emma. Perhaps it really is just a pick up?"

Evelyn nodded, but did not voice the rising doubt she seemed to have. It was all nonsense most likely nonsense or paranoia on her part.

.::The Sound of My Vendetta::.

Not even a foot away from their landing zone, Evelyn could smell smoke and gunpowder, which was never a good sign.

Storm had attempted to contact the leader of the ground team, Colossus, but no one had responded.

They had been traveling on foot for about forty-five minutes until they happened upon the battleground.

Colossus was still standing, but banged up, which explained lack of communications. Iceman was in the air on his self-made slide while he froze the enemy one-by-one.

And Nightcrawler, ever the most silent, teleported around and incapacitated stragglers that attempted to pick off his comrades.

From the looks of things and how they seemed to be outnumbered, it seemed the ground team was ambushed upon contacting the mansion. It had been a trap.

Immediately, Storm's eyes took on that familiar haze before the sky above became dense with rain clouds and rumbling thunder. Tundra's hand froze over in a sparkling display of ice as she swung it forward with a lot of force, throwing ice blades at an unsuspecting man.

He fell down clutching his shoulder in agony without knowing what hit him.

"It's about time we finally got some reinforcements!" cried Iceman with a whoop of glee.

"What happened here?" Storm was straight to business, lucky for those she allied with.

"We arrived here after contacting Emma for some pick up, but then these guys came out of nowhere and started shooting. No one got hurt, thankfully!"

Another enemy fell by Tundra's ice shots, crying out loudly through the crackling of the storm. A familiar BAMF! sounded nearby, and she grinned softly before kicking out and sending shards to litter the black and gold armor of yet another troop.

"Even after months without practice, _fraulein_, you still pose a threat to anyone who defies you."

Her shy smile faltered when she felt the ground tremble beneath her feet. She looked around at the area, unable to see past the encircling forestry.

A chill settled in her gut as a flash of light glittered in her vision, making her look at the emblem marred into the armor of a fallen male. A ragged _DW _was emblazoned over the chest and back, as well as along the sleeves.

"These clowns are a part of the Darkwalkers dad told me about…!"

And from the shadows of the trees emerged a behemoth that Evelyn had thought long-dead. The same snarl and hulking shape that frightened her had returned, and stood merely a few feet away as his abyssal eyes bore into hers. He growled like an animal before a feral grin spread across his face, leaning down on his muscular haunches with the gold and black armor shifting against his frame.

"You are correct, Dimitru bitch!"

He rushed toward her like an angry bull out for a matador, red hair cascading and flying to be the likeness of fire behind his monstrosity.

She gasped and rushed off, hopping over a body or two of his fallen comrades. He crushed them beneath his feet as if they were merely parts of the Earth. They did not exist to him.

Mortea was just as aggressive as she remembered him being before Kurt had teleported her away to safety, leaving her father to battle the mountain alone. However, Giorgio Dimitru was no where near this place, and it was up to her and her teammates to stop him.

Permanently this time, hopefully.

A metal beam slammed into Mortea, letting her know that Colossus got the message and he issued to order to begin an assault on the large threat. Evelyn kicked her foot up, sending a wave of iced javelins up Mortea's exposed arms. They pierced the skin, earning a pained grunt from him, but he snapped them off with an effortless wave of his other appendage.

Iceman came to her assistance, freezing a giant mound of snow and sleet onto his back, pausing Mortea for but a moment before the ice shuffled off and he continued his rampage.

"He's worse than the Juggernaut! What is this guy, exactly?"

"He's a member of the Darkwalkers! We met him in Romania," replied Nightcrawler with a warning growl as he appeared next to Tundra with two swords in his grip.

The beast of a man roared and coiled back like a cobra ready to strike. Evelyn took this chance to dash away while Kurt teleported to a hidden spot among the trees. Colossus took the hint and slammed another beam into Mortea, this time at his struggling legs, causing the giant to fall back with a surprised grunt and an earth-trembling stall.

Iceman quickly froze Mortea's legs, but this time he continuously added more and more ice until giant clumps could be seen of his feet. Storm pushed down on his body with typhoon winds, shoving the giant male into the ground and preventing him from sitting up to the best of her ability.

Evelyn jumped from behind a knocked over truck, shooting blades of pure ice into his pressured hands, which effectively pinned him to the earth in a macabre crucifixion. Kurt teleported near Mortea, placing the side of one of his swords against a bulging neck, a glare settled upon his normally peaceful face.

"Who are you working for? Who is the leader of the Darkwalkers? Is it Marcceli?"

The beast chuckled deeply, grunting a dark laugh that sent a chill through the mutant heroes. After a moment of silence, he seemed to grimace, and a shrill yell came from him. He looked toward where Evelyn currently stood with a calm expression on her face.

His arm all the way past his elbow as a deep and horrid, frostbitten blue, something only Evelyn could have managed to accomplish in such a time.

"It's already too late to save your arm. I suggest you answer his question before the entire thing goes," she softly threatened, her gaze moving back to his slowly dying arm. This ability slightly put-off a few of her comrades, mostly Iceman and Colossus, who weren't as used to her abilities and attitude.

"The Mazzonet family, the Mazzonet led the Darkwalkers! Marcceli Mazzonet still helps us, however, and has taken up permanent leadership! Now stop freezing my arm, you Romanian whore—Ah!"

He was not allowed to finish his sentence as another flash of pain entered his body as more ice crept up his arm. Half-way past his forearm now was that sickening color until she released her powers on him, but he was still pinned down by both Iceman and Tundra's mutations.

"Thank you for the information," she muttered coldly before taking a couple of steps back from Mortea.

His angered growl was enough of a reply, and everyone knew that if he ever managed to escape this place…

He'd kill Evelyn.

.::The Sound of My Vendetta::.

"_Tata _(father), I need you to tell me more about Marcceli Mazzonet."

The middle-aged man nearly choked on his tea, glaring at his daughter with a haunted look for barely a moment before he lowered the cup and saucer onto the table in front of him. He was placed in the Xavier Institute as a secondary History teacher, and as such, he had his own luxury room that was all his own. Evelyn made sure that he received care, as well, in the form of common check-ups with Hank.

"What happened? Were you attacked by Darkwalkers?"

She hesitated on the answer, looking around the cream and cherry wood walls of his suite. The four-poster bed was immaculately made and his desk was an oddly organized mess of papers and folders.

"Yes, _tata_, Mortea came back for another round, it seems."

Giorgio cussed softly in Romanian, stood from his comfort chair, and walked over to Evelyn to clutch at her arm tightly in worry. "When did this happen, Evelyn?"

"… We just got back from picking up the ground team that was ambushed by them."

He sighed in such a defeated way that sadly reminded Evelyn just how long it had been since she'd last noticed how old her father had become since she was a little girl.

"Marcceli Mazzonet is the last known member of the Mazzonet clan. For nearly five centuries, the Mazzonet have been known as the ultimate necromancers. They led an order of the most talented necromancer clans in all of Europe, stretching from the United Kingdom and Ireland to Romania and even some contacts buried in Russian soil," he paused while he led his daughter to sit on the plush bed next to him.

"The main families were the Dominatus from Greece, the Aurrigio from Italy as well as the Montegerrano. There were the Bumbersloan, directly from the United Kingdom, and finally," he paused once again to sigh and take his daughter's hand.

"There were the Dimitru, hailing from Romania."

Evelyn visibly started with a shocked look directed to her father. Why hadn't he told her sooner?

He stroked her hand soothingly while she continued to have that wild, confused look in her eyes, fitting in some sort of puzzle she built about the Mazzonet.

"You're saying our family was a clan of necromancers?"

"No, I am saying that our family is still a clan of necromancers, albeit the line stopped with you. You have not learned the ways," he explained patiently. Giorgio seemed to bear a relieved smile when he had said that statement. In all honesty, he preferred that Evelyn had no knowledge of the practice, given that Marcceli was making a move on the clan.

"Marcceli isn't actually a blood member of the Mazzonet. He was adopted by Morganna, who was the head of the clan when we were children. I never really respected Marcceli, and neither did any of the other children. He was not of our blood. However, only one girl in the entire camp seemed to reach out to him,"

With a depressed sigh, he looked down at the wooden floor of his room.

"Her name was Marcelia."

Evelyn's eyes widened, and a soft stinging of tears began to prickle despite her clenched fists and bottled reaction.

"Yes, it was your mother."

"Why would my mother be the only one who was kind to him?" "You're mother had a kind heart, _fetita_ (girl). Marcelia had the kind of heart that judged no one, no matter their birth. I, however, was not taught to be so accepting."

"_Dominatus, Dimitru, I found Marcceli! He was hiding in the shrubs again like a wild animal. Do you think his real mother was a jackal?" _

_Giorgio Dimitro and Nico Dominatus ran over to where Thomas Bumbersloan had apparently discovered a cowering Marcceli Mazzonet. _

_Giorgio's startling cat eyes seemed to glimmer in cruel humor as he saw the weeping faux-Mazzonet in the bushes. "Maybe she was, Thomas. I bet his mother was nothing but a—Oh…"_

_Marcelia Albatu came rushing from the small cabin where she took on learning medicine and halted her pace to glare at the three boys who were looming over the cowering child. _

"_You need to leave Marcelli alone! He's as much a clan member as any of us! Come on, Marcceli, don't cry because of these _prosti _(fools)."_

_Marcceli grabbed onto Marcelia's hands and lifted himself up so that he could be led into the warm cabin, the two ignoring the snickers coming from NIco and Thomas. Giorgio remained silent as he watched her walk away with a distracted look in his eyes._

"No offense meant, _tata_, but she didn't seem to be your biggest fan. How did you…?"

His barking laugh startled her, but in a pleasant way. Her father grinned merrily and sighed in such a way that reminded her of what it was like to love someone truly.

She knew the feeling, after all.

"Marcelia eventually convinced me that Marcceli was not to be blamed for not being of blood. He didn't ask to be adopted into the clan. He just was, because Morganna fell in love with that child. I saw the reasoning in her words, and I apologized to Marcceli, and I called him a true Mazzonet. All three of us became friends after that."

Evelyn was about to speak, to question how three friends became one couple and an enemy, but Giorgio held up his hand to his daughter with a rueful grin.

"The three of us grew up together, me and Marcceli even more so. Marcelia was part of the Albatru clan. While they were not necromancers, they were healers. Medicine and herb specialists who worked off of the land, to be more blunt. I fell in love with her when I was much younger because she took care of me when I had gotten bitten by a local dog. She was but an apprentice, but she was spectacular."

Evelyn nodded in understanding, urging her father to continue his story.

"Marcceli, however, was also in love with her. When Marcelia and I finally admitted our feelings to each other, Marcceli was… less than pleased."

Her father seemed to fade away into his memories, ghosts flashing through his green eyes. She placed her hand on his arm to snap him out of it. He patted her hand gently, gripping it in his calloused counterpart.

"I knew he was upset by it, but he seemed to get over it slightly the more we helped him realize that we were all still friends. It seemed to be going so well… Until the Mazzonet clan ended up being caught in an argument with the Bumbersloan," he rubbed his eyes as if he were tired or had a headache.

"Morganna ended up being killed by the hot-headed Thomas Bumbersloan, and Marcceli vowed vengeance. Tension seemed to build between all of the clans. The Bumbersloan, Dominatus, and Aurrigio against the other three, it seemed. The Mazzonet, Dimitru, and the Montegerrano stood on the other side.

"The Aurrigio surrendered after a few days, saying that they would rather back away from the fight than battle against comrades. They were all loyal-blooded, and the Bumbersloan slaughtered them for it. Next fell the Montegerrano, for being to cocky and attempting to take down the Bumbersloan immediately. No one was spared."

"It sounded like a war, not just a damned disagreement! The death of one woman brought this on?" questioned Evelyn in an incredulous tone.

"You don't completely understand. Morganna was loved by many, so whoever killed her was truly despised. Marcceli just… was an angry person. I partially blame myself for that. We harassed him so much just because of blood, he grew to have darkness in his heart. In the end, it overtook him."

"It seems like a Helen of Troy reenactment." He chuckled at that, a quirk of a smile on his face.

"Eventually, the Dominatus betrayed the Bumbersloan for some mysterious reason. The only reason it remains a mystery is because they were killed off before they could reveal their intentions. I think it was because they had strong bonds with our family, and could no longer fight us with a clear conscience.

"The Mazzonet and the Dimitru worked together and took down the Bumbersloan clan after that. The two strongest clans now ruled, and everything was at peace for the time being. At least until I decided to leave the order to raise a family. Marcceli took it as a declaration of betrayal. And that is when the hunt for the Dimitru family begun."

"What exactly does that mean?"

"It means that he will continue to search for us until we're all dead, or we kill him. He's the last Mazzonet, and we're the last Dimitru. It's up to us, _fiica mea_ (my daughter)."

Evelyn looked down, a terrible twisting in her gut making her nauseous as she weighed down the seriousness of the situation. It was up to her to stop this insane man who was once her father's best friend and ally.

"It's up to me," she muttered to herself before standing from the bed and leaving the room with her father gazing at the floor, deep in thought.

.::The Sound of My Vendetta::.

Kurt was already waiting for her at home when she arrived. He was sitting in the living room, reading another part of his Bible like he seemed to do everyday if he could. His head perked up as she shut the door and hung her keys on the nearby hook as she shrugged off her jacket.

He noticed her off expression, sat up from his previous position, closed his book, and took her into his arms as if by instinct.

"What happened, Evelyn? Tell me."

She shook her head slowly, her hands wrapping about him securely for a moment before releasing so she could move back and look up at him. He pressed his forehead against hers, and she giggled softly before leaning up and connecting their lips for a gentle kiss that left a pleasant tingle down his spine to the spade of his tail.

His arms found her waist and her hands moved to his shoulders as they remained still in each other's presence.

Eventually, however, they broke apart reluctantly, a soft blush on her face and a look of pleasant surprise on his.

"I… I'm fine, Kurt. I really am."

He nodded, choosing not to question her. He would do so eventually. For now, she needed to eat and relax, then go to bed so they could enjoy the weekend together. The real world could wait.

The petite woman ran a gentle hand along his arm slowly and a soft purr built up in his chest as a result.

He grinned and pulled her closer once again, his tail wrapping around her left thigh while he kissed her deeply, catching her off guard. She didn't seem to oppose it at all.

Oh yes, the real world could wait.

**Ah yes, the plot thickens and evolves into a dilemma that Evelyn wants to keep to herself. You can't expect her to be an open book about family matters, not even to Kurt. **

**I'll continue updating as fast as I can, but I still don't really have any way to enter the files except through USB to my dad's laptop. I'll make sure to write a lot, though. **

**Thank you for reading, because I really appreciate everything you've done for me. The reviews and messages, the words you've shared with me. You all are the reason I keep writing to the best of my ability.**

**This is for you.**


	4. Chapter Four: In the Arms of Rain

The Sound of My Vendetta

Chapter Four: In the Arms of Rain

"For the last time, Evelyn, I will not allow you to take on Marcceli by yourself!" cried out Kurt as he glared at Evelyn from across the bed. She was by the window with her arms crossed, a cold determination evident on her expression. She wouldn't look at him.

"It's suicide! I know you're not stupid enough to think that it'll all be so simple!"

She spun to face him with a resolute glare, which would have normally shut him up. It had lost its effect over time because he got used to her usual signs of frustration.

Also, he mused, she'd be much more threatening if she wasn't only in one of my old shirts.

Her fists slowly began to clench as her posture became very tense. Evelyn hated arguing with him on personal matters, but there was no way to deter his focus now. He was going to do everything in his power to fight alongside her.

She would have none of it, if she could help it.

"You're not getting yourself into any danger! You face enough as it is just being an X-Man! Kurt, you need to realize that either my family or his are going to survive. I might as well end it by killing him or dying in the process," she offered with a calm face. She always tried to be sensible, Kurt realized, even when it was her own life put on the wire.

She was doing this for him, wasn't she? Marcceli would stop if she was dead.

Kurt shook his head, stomping over to her and grabbing her wrist tightly in his hand. All he could tell was that she started for a moment before the resolute glare returned to her face. He'd surprised her.

"You were this ring for a reason, _ja_? As your fiancée, I will not let you endanger yourself! I am going with you."

Evelyn began to struggle against Kurt's much stronger grip, still defiant even if she knew he could handle her easily.

"And if I was not? You're only acting on responsibility!" Let him think about that for a moment, she fumed.

"_Nein_, no, I am not! There is no "if" factor here, Evelyn! All that matters to me is that you survive so you can see what the world really has to offer! Don't you understand? I love you,_ verdammt_! Don't you dare throw your life away for something like a family feud you didn't know about until yesterday, just don't!"

She paused as she noticed the odd glimmer in Kurt's eyes. Her own eyes widened as she wrapped her arms around his neck and gently lowered his head to her shoulder. His arms were instantly wrapped around her tightly, pulling her against him securely, almost desperately.

"I just got you, Evelyn. Don't you dare die on me for something so stupid, alright?"

She ran her lips along his temple, stroking his hair with the tips of her fingers while his breath tickled her collar bone in soft huffs.

"I'll try, Kurt."

His grip on her only tightened more.

Her chest seemed to swell with discomfort at seeing him like this. She took his face in her hands and kissed him gently for but a moment before she pulled away to lean her forehead against his.

"I promise."

Kurt lifted the hand that bore her engagement ring, kissing each knuckle individually with equal care while his other hand rubbed soothing circles on the small of her back. One of her small hands rested flatly against his bare chest, palm over his heart.

At that moment, blue eyes found gold.

"Are you ever going to stop worrying about me, Kurt?"

The mentioned mutant shook his head, grinning from ear to ear like the infamous joker he was.

"I never will. You're much too reckless, Evelyn—Whoa!"

The smaller woman pushed him back slightly with a slight rush against his shoulders with her hands, and Kurt fell back to sit on the bed. She smiled innocently while he scowled at her jest.

"I'm not only twenty-one anymore, sweetheart," she whispered while she slowly walked toward him with a stride that left his eyes unable to move from her frame.

"That may be true, _fraulein_, but you're still very young. I feel like such a criminal in being privileged to have you."

"You're only twenty-nine, Kurt. Don't exaggerate."

He chuckled and prepared to let out a witty comeback like he was known for, but all of the English language (and most German albeit some very explicit curse words) seemed to vanish from his mind when his fiancée settled herself on his lap with her knees on either side to help her balance.

Instinctively, his hands moved to rest on her exposed thighs because the shirt had rode up. Kurt wanted to glare at the garment for managing to still keep his love covered by just a strand. It was teasing him, the offending cloth.

Dainty hands snaked their way up his chest, which brought out a rippling purr through him. Kurt brought his three-digit hand to the back of her neck to tilt her head back before he began to nip at the exposed flesh of her.

Kurt's lithe tail slithered around her thigh while his other hand moved to her lower back from inside his shirt, down to the smooth curvature of her bottom to pull her hips against his. She let out a sweet moan right next to his ear as a result that sent shivers down his spine.

Evelyn's blossomed chest heaved against his while he continued his ministrations. He reveled in her soft breaths and flushed skin as well as the flowery smell of her perfume mixed with the citrus shampoo in her hair. To him, these things were pure bliss. Kurt pulled back as he felt her hands slip from his chest to see her slowly trying to unbutton the short of his that she currently wore.

With each released nuisance of a button, more milky flesh was revealed to him. He stopped her as she reached her naval, cupping her buttocks in his hands so she could match eye-level with him. She captured his lips in a heated his, the loosened garment now slipping from her shoulders and down her arms as she tangled her fingers into her lover's indigo locks.

After a few minutes of their passionate lip lock, the two fell back on the bed with her on stop, straddling him and her hands on his chest.

The Mazzonet, the Brotherhood, Magneto, Mojo, or even the Hellfire Club didn't matter at this moment. They were in the back of the couple's minds. Sure, when the haze of passion faded away and the sweet nurturing feeling of love had to be put aside for battle, they would rise to the occasion. They would have to fight. They would probably never stop fighting.

But as Kurt's tail disappeared under the bottom of the shirt Evelyn was wearing, as Evelyn arched her back and breathed out a shocked moan, and as the two removed the rest of their clothing and became one over and over again into the night with each other's names being shouted in the heat of passion…

None of it seemed to matter at all.

.::The Sound of My Vendetta::.

Giorgio Dimitru was never a heavy sleeper in his life. Undoubtedly, it saved his skin countless times. This explains why he was on his feet as soon as the first pieces of glass hit the carpet of his room. And there, standing at the entrance to his own balcony, stood Marcelli Mazzonet.

He still had the same grey eyes from their childhood, as well as the same sandy hair that Morganna always fussed over. Stress lines were visible on his forehead and he definitely sprouted some wrinkles in age, but all in all, Marcceli still looked so much like he did long ago.

"Ah, Giorgio, how have you been, my good friend?"

The glare that the dark-haired male sent to Marcceli could be matched as identical to Evelyn's famous one.

"Not in the mood to talk, I see. Understandable, completely understandable, you know. I suppose we should get down to business."

He got no reply, to which Marcceli grinned and pulled out a large and leather bound book. The outside was a pitch black with the writing seemingly branded in silver ore. It was written in an ancient language, one taught only to the select few who were given the rare copies.

Marcceli opened the book, scanning over the pages with hushed tones and quick eyes. The walls sprung to life and formed into grappling hands that surrounded Giorgio in seconds. They surrounded the Romanian mutant, engulfing him within their plastered grip.

The makeshift hands crumbled away a moment later, and Giorgio stood in the center with uplifted palms.

"That's the difference between you and me, Marcceli. You still need the damn book!"

Giorgio then swung his arm outward and a scalding wind pushed back his adversary with great force. It caused Marcceli to hit the wall hard, and he grunted in pain while his palm shot toward the black-haired man he once called his friend. A string of words fell from his lips just then, his words coming out slurred from the pain, and a weak tremor shook the foundation.

That was when the alarm finally went off.

This familiar siren alerted the inhabitants of the house that an emergency had arisen in their midst. They were on high alert and most of the more experienced people already donned their combat uniform or were rushing down the halls in search for the source and comrades.

"It's over, Dimitru! Your daughter is next on my list and I'm not letting her win!"

"You're wrong once again, Marcceli…" panted Giorgio as he slid down his bedroom wall in agony. His skin was mottled with cuts and gashed from the spikes formed by Marcceli from Giorgio's own bed frame. One was painfully jabbed into his right shoulder, and his ankle was cut open. He was losing blood fast.

But the older Dimitru still remained strong and defiant as he stared down his rival and friend.

Marcceli was covered in cuts and bruises, as well. However, the damage was definitely less severe than that off Giorgio's. While Giorgio no longer needed to refer to a Necromancer's Tome, he was older than Marcceli by a few years, and was slower in reacting. He had the gift of tongue, but the grey-eyed avenger had youth and references.

With a bloody hand pressed against the wall to steady him as he stood, Giorgio stared down Marcceli with an even stare. They locked eyes for a while before he allowed a smile and a chuckle to erupt from his face.

"You're wrong because my daughter will definitely kill you first. She isn't like you or me, Marcceli. She's a stubborn and resilient woman. You're just an aging man with the mentality of a child!"

Vines suddenly wrapped about his windpipe, and Giorgio grasped at the thorny tentacles with aching hands. They only tightened further the more he struggled. Soon enough, the thorns began to cut into his already ailing throat.

"And this is the difference between you and me, my dear old friend Giorgio. You may no longer need the Tome, and I may not be able to defeat your daughter on my own as I am…

But I have friends, allies. And, unlike you, I would slaughter a worthless bitch like her without batting an eye. I wish you could watch it all happen. Unfortunately, you're too much of a hassle for me to let you live."

Marcceli grinned and walked over to Giorgio's struggling body. When he got into range, the bleeding man spat right onto his face. The heir of Mazzonet glared at him with a fiery rage, and slammed his palm across Giorgio's face with a loud force.

"Y-you're no better than the Bumbersloan, Marcceli. Would Morganna want to see this side of you…?"

The straw-haired man paused for a moment, ghosts of anguish flooding his eyes for but a moment before they turned cold once again. He looked at his old friend, comrade, and rival for one last time before he crushed his throat in the tangle of vines.

He watched the life drain from Giorgio's body, then his eyes, and finally even his spirit seemed to ebb away.

"My mother is dead. She cannot see anything. Is that not why they lay under ground, my friend? So they do not have to bear witness to the foolishness of the living?"

He sighed, letting the corpse drop onto the ground before he picked up his abandoned Tome and exiting the balcony window.

"I'm sorry, Giorgio. I apologize to you, as well, Marcelia. I will have to kill your daughter…"

Marcceli's eyes turned cold as he looked at the horizon, an evil grin spreading wide and malicious.

"It ends with us."


	5. Chapter Five: The Queen

The Sound of My Vendetta

Chapter Five: The Queen

"We were too late. I'm so sorry, Evelyn."

He was battered beyond belief, his blood was splattered on the wall behind him, and the room was extremely demolished. Giorgio had put up a _damned _fight.

"Look at the state he's in! How in the world were you _too late_?" she hissed at Scott in her rage. He was in the mansion directly because of her asking him to come to America, telling him that he'd be safer here than he was in Romania.

However, he ended up dead, right in his room.

Tears threatened to leak down her face without abandon as she looked at the corpse of her father. Evelyn could not believe for a moment that it had happened right under her nose. Her fists were clenched, her knuckles white. There was a painful throb in her chest, a stinging on her insides. She was pissed.

"Does anyone know who did this? Were there any clues?"

Emma walked toward the fuming young woman with a patient look upon her apparently flawless features. The White Queen placed a delicate hand on her shoulder, offering some sort of comfort that was obviously never shared between the two.

"It seemed he was fighting someone of nearly equal power, my dear. Could that mean anything to you?"

"Marcceli…" she spat vehemently. At Emma's questioning glance, she cleared her throat to answer, but Kurt beat her to it.

"Marcceli Mazzonet is the leader of the men that attacked the ground team, Emma. They're called the Darkwalkers, and it seemed that Evelyn's father used to know him as a friend due to familial ties. They had a… falling out many years ago and became enemies."

Kurt watched his fiancée silently fume on her own while she stared at her father with the most lost of expressions. She looked like her world had crumbled before her eyes, and she'd done nothing to help.

But she did not cry.

Evelyn would definitely scream, shout, fight, lash out, and even push everyone away. But Kurt knew, for a fact, that she would not cry until Marcceli was dead. She could not shed tears until it was all over and done with. She was planning on being reckless once again.

Soft crunches of glass and ornaments sounded throughout the room as Evelyn made her way to the still body of her father. She fell to her knees in front of him, reaching out a quivering hand to brush some stray rubble from his cheek with an ever so gentle touch. She gripped onto his shoulder next, tightly, and looked down to her lap in shame.

"I am sorry, tata. I have no one else to blame for this but myself," she began softly, "No one else. I asked you to come here so we could try and be a family again, and look what happened… It's because of my own selfishness and cowardice that you died. Because of me, you won't be there to walk me down the aisle, and I'll never be able to show you any children I may have." _If I have them_, she added sardonically in her mind.

"You'll never be able to explore the rest of the world, or see the sights it could have offered. Now you can't grow old and live a long life full of choices you can no longer make!"

She took a breath to calm her shuddering body as she felt a dam of tears pressing against her eyes. She would not falter, not in this.

"I'll kill Marcceli without any hesitance. No matter what it takes, I will do it. I stake my life on it."

Kurt shut his mouth with an audible snap as his shocked expression turned into a scowl. He stepped forward with a huff and hoisted her up by the upper arm quickly, holding a tight grip as she swayed on her feet from the loss of equilibrium.

"I'll be damned if you do such a thing, Evelyn! What are you thinking?" he whispered into her ear quickly as she struggled against his rough grip.

She did, in fact, manage to pry her small arm away from his hold for a moment to stomp away from him with an angry glare on her face. The young woman was livid and frustrated as well as in pain. She was beside herself in rage, and she was shocked at how Kurt could not even see that.

"This is my fight, Kurt! You need to stop trying to deter what needs to be done!"

"_Deter_, you say? I will _deter _whatever I have to in order to make sure that you do not die for a stupid reason!"

While she looked prepared for a harsh comeback, she did not voice it. Evelyn tore her gaze away from his own to walk out of the room and into the awaiting hall.

"While I do feel bad for her, Kurt dear, please make sure she does not go on a suicide mission. If this Marcceli really plans on hunting her down, that is. Are you sure it's only her family?"

Kurt nodded once, eyes still glued to the spot where Evelyn looked at him with such fury.

"Go home and let her relax. She's wound up because of what happened, is all. She needs to let the shock wear off so she can start to move on," offered Scott as the good-natured leader he always tried to be. He also received a terse nod from Kurt in reply.

The two headmasters left the room without another word being spoken. Kurt let out a long breath that he'd been holding, finally letting his tense muscles relax as he eased his gaze from the accursed spot in front of him. Perhaps Scott had been right in saying that Evelyn was only in shock. They'd have a warm cup of tea when they got home and he'd hold her while she cried and everything would work itself out in someway and somehow.

But when Kurt left the room expecting to see her leaning against the wall across the hall with that lost puppy dog look on her face, he found no one in sight except a couple of students who were currently headed to the pool.

_Verdammt!_

.::The Sound of My Vendetta::.

Twigs crunched and snapped beneath her feet as she wandered the woods next to Xavier's school. It was always peaceful here in the shade of the trees, forever still and silent until disturbed. There was still frost on the branches and soggy undergrowth beneath it because it was currently mid-January. The cooling breeze felt good on the skin and nerves, and it tickled her pale cheeks.

"I know I didn't make a mistake by bringing him here. He would've died in Romania! But still… would things have been different then?" she asked herself these things over and over again. She could not come up with an answer.

"Instead of pondering what could have been, why don't you settle for what is going to happen to you now?"

Evelyn's eyes snapped ahead toward the accented voice in alarm. She nearly fell back at the steely eyes she found staring right back not even a foot away. How had she not heard him?

"Do not be so alarmed, dear Evelyn. I'm an old friend of your father's," said the stranger with an oddly mocking tone. She scowled at him not even a moment later as something clicked in her mind. She wasn't a fool.

"Shut it, Marcceli. I know it's you."

"You are bright just like your mother! I'm sure this is going to be a fight to remember, oh yes!" he cried out as he lifted a large book that rested on his waist in a harness from his belt. It was a large, leather bound one, dyed a deep black. Evelyn squinted to read the print, but found that it was indecipherable or in a language she could not understand.

"I see you're curious about my Necromancer's Tome. Your dear daddy had one like it, but he discarded it for a secluded life with your mother after he found out she was carrying on of you damned brats!"

_Andreanna…_

Her resolve seemed to harden at the moment for the big sister she barely knew whom she'd lost so very long ago.

"It seems I've struck a nerve somewhere… All for the better, if you ask me!"

Evelyn pushed her palm forward, feeling that blast of energy siphoning into her hand, but she was forced to stall as the ground trembled around them. Even Marcceli seemed a bit flustered with the odd tremor.

This wasn't his doing, she realized.

The throng of trees behind him seemed to split apart from the ground as meaty hands pushed them aside as if they were made of Styrofoam. Heavy breathing could be heard, as well as an odd whirring of machinery that Evelyn could only compare to the mechanical whirring of the Blackbird's beginning systems during preparation for flight.

And from the hidden groves appeared Mortea, just as gargantuan as ever.

His feet and right hand bore major scarring as well as frost-bitten digits that brought a rueful quirk of the lips on Evelyn's part. But her heart did start horribly when she saw his new addition.

The arm that she had frozen to disrepair had been amputated and replaced with a mechanical replacement that had razor-tipped claws and a mean-looking spur placed on the back of a metalloid elbow.

Evelyn's jaw dropped in horror at what he had become, also at the fact that he survived the wilderness and had, indeed, come back to kill her.

The bastard was stubborn.

"I thought I told you not to interfere, Mortea," growled Marcceli. This struck Evelyn as odd as she noticed the disapproving tone Marcceli held for the man-beast.

It clicked right then, sort of. Marcceli planned to handle her on his own as a sort of final battle right here in these woods with only the trees as witnesses. Mortea was supposed to stay back on orders, but his rage at knowing she'd be so close drove him to find them so he could steal the satisfaction of killing Evelyn.

I don't think I like being game for a hunt between two psychos, she thought cynically before turning on her heel and running through the dense groves.

Thundering sounds erupted from behind her not even a second later while Mortea gave chase, pushing the trees in his way to the ground in haste. She could also hear Marcceli's protesting cries farther back while he attempted to call off Mortea. She almost scoffed at how hopeless it was, but realized it would be too ironic to laugh at his misfortune when she was the one who was going to be killed by a rampaging monster.

The brush of trees around her began to clear as she spotted the glittering windows of the familiar mansion.

Evelyn finally broke free of the greenery and spotted Logan just getting onto his motorcycle for a trip into the city. This was her chance.

"The Darkwalkers are here, Logan! They—!"

She saw Logan turn to face her as soon as she broke from the trees, she saw his claws release when he saw the trees shake behind her, and she saw his eyes widened as a glimmer behind her caught her sight.

Then all she felt was a slight tearing at her back followed by pain and the far-off smell of grass and earth in her nose. The familiar smell of blood followed it, down her sides and arms and onto the ground beneath her. She couldn't seem to move at all.

She couldn't speak, and the nearby shouts became muffled from the pain she was feeling.

Evelyn wasn't sure about how much time had passed before she felt the tremor shake the ground, but a shuddering sob ripped through her as she saw Mortea's lifeless eyes staring at her from the crack of sight she was given between the dark strands of her hair.

The edges of her vision began to cloud over, but she gripped onto the grass and dirt with her fists until her knuckles turned white. She would not give in until she knew what had happened. Evelyn fought her body to remain conscious.

A callused hand brushed her hair back soon after, then moved to check the pulse point in her throat.

Logan's wild gaze found her panicked one, and she would have cried out in happiness at those familiar cobalt eyes if she had been able to. He quirked a grin at her, but it was strained.

"You're alive… Stay with us, Snowflake. You better not fucking go anywhere or the elf will skin me."

She was only able to choke out another stifled sob before the world went black.

.::The Sound of My Vendetta::.

"… I'm sure she'll wake … …, Kurt. Trust..."

"Yeah, elf, she's… … tough… But… … lose a lot of…"

Murmuring voices seemed to stir her from a reluctant slumber. Evelyn groaned at the dull throb of medicated pain that she could obviously feel coursing through her back muscles. She felt stiff and sore.

Even in her haze, she ran her thumb against her wedding band. It was still there. A muffled moan of discomfort escaped her and alerted the people standing over, to which they all gave various cries of surprise.

"Evelyn…" Kurt was at her side in a second, his warm hand closing over her wrist in reassurance. "Gott in Himmel, thank goodness you're alright." He sounded tired, she realized. How long had she been out?

She managed to open her eyes slowly, but quickly buried her face into the pillow with a pained noise because of the bright lights around her.

"_Geliebter_, please look at me," pleaded her fiancée while his hand continued to caress hers with a gentleness only he could accomplish.

She obliged him, squinting past the lights, and she saw his relieved smile.

"Well, since she's awake and alright, how about we leave these two alone?" Evelyn looked to the side and saw that Hank and Logan were there watching over her like Kurt had been. She gave them a soft smile in thanks, since she felt too weak to really do much else.

After they had left, Evelyn noticed an odd book on the table next to her bed. She squinted in curiosity at the familiar appearance, but couldn't quite place where she had seen something like it previously. Kurt placed his hand on her shoulder to gather her attention.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as he grabbed the pitcher and paper cup from the metal table next to him in order to pour her a drink. Even now he was considering how to make her feel better in the best way.

She drank the cool water eagerly; sighing in relief as it slid down her throat like a dam broke and easing the dryness inside.

"Better now, thanks," she managed to scratch out. Just how long had it been?

"You've been resting for about four days now. Are you sure you feel okay?"

She nodded; somewhat numbly as she heard how long she'd been out. She accepted another drink of water before speaking.

"W-what happened to me exactly…?"

"Mortea managed to slice your back pretty badly before Logan took him out. He missed your spinal cord, thankfully, but you were bleeding heavily. There… there was so much _verdammt _blood…" he trailed off as he looked down at his clenched hands. He took a deep breath to steady himself before he continued.

"But Hank quickly gave you some of Warren's blood. You're wounds are mostly healed and may scar, but you'll be fine in a couple of days as long as you don't strain yourself. _Danke Gott _Logan brought you in here before things got any worse."

She sensed anger in his tone. Reprimand at her actions. Could he possibly blame her for what had happened?

"You sound angry," she said simply. Testing to see what he would do.

"Of course I'm angry, Evelyn! You dashed off into the woods in your sadness only to be ambushed by two people who want to kill you! Why did you run away instead of staying in the mansion where it was safe?"

"Safe? It certainly doesn't seem all that safe considering my father died right in his room!"

Kurt pinched the bridge of his nose with a frustrated hiss. He was becoming impatient, she knew.

"That was an accident, and it was in the middle of the night…" he began, "But that does not mean that you should leave the mansion in a tantrum to run into the greenery expecting a better outcome!"

Evelyn clenched her fists while gripping tightly onto the sheets covering her legs. She looked down, ashamed.

"I know that you want to beat Marcceli to stop this nonsense and to avenge your father, but don't throw yourself in the line of fire for that. You can defeat him with our help. You're not alone in this anymore, Evelyn. I'm with you."

Her knuckles turned white as she gritted her teeth in frustration. Why couldn't he just let her do it herself, like she was supposed to? Did he have no faith? She could handle Marcceli herself as soon as she got better, she'd train. This didn't concern him, and he'd only get hurt if he helped her. It was for his own good to remain here while she faced the bastard down by herself.

She had to do this on her own.

She turned to face Kurt with a false glare that she had to fake just for this. She hated herself for doing it, but at least he'd be safe, unlike her father.

"You're not my family. This has nothing to do with you at all! I don't know who you _think _you are, but you are not a part of the Dimitru clan. Therefore, you will not be there when I defeat Marcceli. I don't need you to help me! Stay out of the way!"

With the expression Kurt's face bore, she may as well have slapped him. He choked back his following sentence and stood from his seat with an unreadable expression on his face. He certainly wasn't happy.

A loud thud made her jump. Kurt had slammed his fist into the metal table where the pitcher rested.

"This isn't about your family! You have no blood-family left anymore! Why can't you finally accept that I'm your family now? Everyone in this mansion is your family! Why are you going to throw your life away because of this feud? If it is a family matter, let us fight with you! Do you know how selfish you're being by just shrugging us off and running into a fight you might die from?"

He paused, a shuddering breath rippling through him. With a horrified realization, Evelyn noticed he was crying.

"What the hell do you think we would all do if you died, Evelyn? What would I do? Think about that instead of your two-man feud for one moment!"

"…"

"I want to marry you some day! I cannot marry a corpse! None of us want to bury your body, we can't. It would hurt too much. Why would you put us through that? Damnit, Evelyn!"

He growled deep in his throat as he stomped out of the infirmary, leaving Evelyn with her thoughts.

Tears fell onto her clenched hands as she cried silently, unmoving as she looked down at her lap. Her entire body was on fire now. She felt terrible and miserable. Her hands moved up to her face as a racking sob broke through the silence in the room.

A small glimmer to her right caught the crying girl's attention. The book she had noticed earlier was giving off a strange energy. The glow seemed to fade as the silence dragged on. She whimpered as she wiped her tears, which seemed to reawaken the book's glow.

Evelyn stood on shaky legs when the book once again stopped its strange glowing aura show.

She touched the cover, nothing. She ran her hand along the spin, nothing. She patted her hand along it, nothing. The book wouldn't even open for her. It was locked somehow.

"What kind of book are you, to be locked?"

The book began to glow again, leaving her puzzled. It must be voice-activated or something. One of Hank's strange side inventions, she summed.

"Open," she commanded, and so it did. It opened up to a strange writing she could not even begin to decipher. It seemed familiar. That was when it clicked.

"It's just like Marcceli's Tome! The Necromancer's Tome! But… why is this one white with black marks…?"

It was just like Marcceli's, except that it seems like the opposite colors were painted on.

"This… This was my father's Tome. You belonged to Giorgio Dimitru, didn't you?"

The book hummed a soft agreement in the form of its bright aura in response.

This was her father's reluctant heirloom to his only surviving relative: Her.


	6. Chapter Six: House of Wolves

.

The Sound of My Vendetta

Chapter Six: House of Wolves

It was the end of January and the air was still crisp from the chill of winter. The leaves on the trees were coming back, lush and green. The sun was rising and casting an orange glow over the grounds of Xavier's Institute for Higher Learning. On the earth, the grass that peeked over melting blankets of snow were covered in droplets of morning dew leaving a fresh smell of dirt and nature in the area.

Evelyn sat on one of the benches outside of the mansion, the Tome in her arms as she glared at the trees in her line of sight. All morning she had been trying to decipher how to use the book with fruitless efforts. She didn't understand one word of what was inside.

With a loud sigh, she dropped the thick volume onto the bench and stood, holding her palm out toward the thicket of trees. Energy formed from her body and through her arm until it unleashed into a wave of ice and snow that froze the grove of trees instantly. A thin layer of sleet covered about four or five trees, powder covering them without abandon.

She looked down at her hand in disappointment.

"How am I suspected to defeat Marcelli like this? Even worse, I haven't seen Kurt since our argument that day..."

_**"You're not my family. This has nothing to do with you at all! I don't know who you think you are, but you are not a part of the Dimitru clan. Therefore, you will not be there when I defeat Marcceli. I don't need you to help me! Stay out of the way!"**_

_**With the expression Kurt's face bore, she may as well have slapped him. He choked back his following sentence and stood from his seat with an unreadable expression on his face. He certainly wasn't happy.**_

_**A loud thud made her jump. Kurt had slammed his fist into the metal table where the pitcher rested.**_

_**"This isn't about your family! You have no blood-family left anymore! Why can't you finally accept that I'm your family now? Everyone in this mansion is your family! Why are you going to throw your life away because of this feud? If it is a family matter, let us fight with you! Do you know how selfish you're being by just shrugging us off and running into a fight you might die from?"**_

_**He paused, a shuddering breath rippling through him. With a horrified realization, Evelyn noticed he was crying.**_

_**"What the hell do you think we would all do if you died, Evelyn? What would I do? Think about that instead of your two-man feud for one moment!"**_

_**"…"**_

_**"I want to marry you some day! I cannot marry a corpse! None of us want to bury your body, we **__**can't. It would hurt too much. Why would you put us through that? Damnit, Evelyn!"**_

_**He growled deep in his throat as he stomped out of the infirmary, leaving Evelyn with her thoughts.**_

Honestly, she felt guilty for the words she had said to him, but it was the only way to make sure that he would not be put in danger like he had been when he accompanied her to Romania all those years ago to find out about her past.

But this was no longer about her past. This was a fight for her future.

What would her future be? Rather; would she end up having a future at all if things were to go awry while she fought Marcelli? What if she ended up being the final Demitru slaughtered by Marcelli Mazzonet's hands? Would Kurt be alright? Would her family in the mansion be kept safe? After all, he had no real reason to hunt them. He was only after her.

No, he was after her whole damned family. That was something she would not allow. Defending Kurt, her friends, even those who she disagreed with; she was willing to fight for them just so they would be safe. Why couldn't Kurt understand that? She had to fight Marcelli. She just had to.

But that didn't stop hesitation from settling in her gut. Anxiety mulled in there as well, making her sick and peckish.

Evelyn tried to imagine what could happen if she were to perish. How would Kurt handle it? She hoped that he wouldn't take it too hard, but she knew he would. He'd be crushed. And what kind of bride-to-be was she; just leaping into a fight that she knew she could not win?

"_**I want to marry you some day! I cannot marry a corpse! None of us want to bury your body, we can't. It would hurt too much. Why would you put us through that?"**_

"Because I have no other damned choice," she whispered harshly to the echoing voice of her lover. She had no other choice but to fight and end the feud, so that they may all be safe, whether she survived it or not.

"I... I don't want to die."

At that moment, she realized just how afraid she was of leaving them behind. Evelyn was afraid of dying. She felt so selfish. Who was she to be afraid of leaving someone behind? It was because she didn't want to lose Kurt. To die and never see him again... it hurt too much.

Fresh tears began to fall down her cheeks as she watched the snow melt down the bark of the trees.

"I'm afraid. I'm afraid to die," she whispered as one hand covered her eyes before she let out a loud sob, hoping no one could hear her at this moment. She didn't want anyone to see her so weak and broken.

Only Kurt was allowed to see her like this.

"Evelyn...? Why are you crying, _mein geliebter_?" Kurt's tone was as kind as when he'd first met her, despite them having argued recently. He had such a forgiving heart. The petite woman felt the familiar warmth of his arms surround her, keeping her safe from everything.

And all the while, all she could muster up under her breath was, "Speak of the devil."

His chin then rested on the top of her head.

"Please tell my why you're crying..."

"I'm afraid."

Kurt's gaze turned curious as he looked down at her, his head tilted to one side like a dog curious about a new toy. His eyes turned concerned, then.

"Afraid of what?"

Small, pale arms surround his torso after a moment, holding him tight like a stone in a storm. An anchor. Her head nestles against his chest, and he can feel her breath come out in small, panting rasps as if she had been sobbing.

"I'm afraid to die because I don't want to lose you. I..." she paused for a moment as she collected what she actually wanted. She didn't want to win the fight. As long as she took down Marcelli it was a win, and she planned to kill him even if it ended up taking her too.

"What is it you really want, Evelyn?" he whispered as he lifted her chin. Her eyes were shining with hidden tears. Even when she admitted such a thing, she fought to hold back such weaknesses, even from him. She could only hold out for so long, he knew, and she would break down like a dam if he didn't bring it out of her. "What do you want...?"

The tears fell once again, her body shivering as Kurt pulled her close and tight in his arms.

"I... I want to live!"

.:: The Sound of My Vendetta ::.

Kurt bore a thoughtful expression while he sat next to Evelyn on the stone bench that rested on the mansion's grounds. With his arm around Evelyn's waist and her head resting on his shoulder, he kept a concentrated gaze on the grass below. Her frail fingers were contentedly intertwined with this three.

A brisk wind tussled her dark locks as emotions seemed to flicker even behind the dull leftovers of the tears recently shed. Here she was, such a passionate woman, willing to risk her life just so one problem that bothered her home would be ended. This fight was not only a battle of blood, Kurt knew this, but it was a battle to avenge her father as well as her family.

Everyone in the mansion was her family. Evelyn was willing to die for them. For him.

Then, an idea formed in his head.

"I think you should take a small team of X-Men with you when you go to fight Marcelli. For support, mostly. That way, you'll be able to have a bit of defense and you'll be safer," he explained while his hand moved up to brush her hair back soothingly. Her eyes were red rimmed from crying and her cheeks were flushed.

As he spoke, her body tensed up. Evelyn had not liked the idea at all. The small woman shook her head lazily after he finished speaking, pulling her head from his shoulder. She needed distance.

"I'd rather go in by myself feeling hopeless than risk their lives. I still feel terrible about bringing you along to Romania that time, even if things worked out for the better," she stalled and looked down sadly, "At least, I thought they had."

"They did."

"Try telling that to my father, Kurt."

He sighed. But he understood, as well. Giorgio meant the world to Evelyn. Even in death, her adoration for her father stood strong, and Kurt could do nothing but try and comfort her until she accepted the news and moved on. That didn't mean that it would come easily, however.

Kurt was silent for a long time until he mustered up a bit of knowledge to reply.

"I think your father believed it was for the best, too. He wanted to come here to spend time with you so he could see what a wonderful woman you'd become. If you ask me, _geliebter_, I believe he died with no regrets in his heart besides not walking you down the aisle."

Tears brimmed in those once-cold eyes. Her body seemed to sag as if weighed down by such a pain that Kurt almost reached out to carry her. He knew better. Evelyn was telling herself that she had to bear this problem on her own without anyone's assistance.

Their assistance would undeniably lead to their deaths, and she would not allow it to come to that if she could help it in any way.

That way was to kill Marcelli Mazzonet.

Something glimmering against the morning sun caught Kurt's attention. To Evelyn's right there was the large book that he had found in Giorgio's room while they had been cleaning up at the same time Evelyn had been resting in the infirmary after their argument. Why was she carrying it around with her?

Admittedly, the markings seemed a bit familiar. The recollection seemed to hit him like a bag of bricks or a freight train.

He was going to regret this.

"I... have another idea that may help. What if, instead of calling on allies, you could master whatever is inside of that magic book?"

At the words 'magic' and 'book', Evelyn gave him a look of disbelief.

"I've—ah, seen these markings before. My ex-girlfriend, Amanda Sefton, used to delve into the occult and she owned a couple of books with similar writing, I believe. I'm not completely sure. However, it couldn't hurt to give a magic expert like her a call... right?"

At the way she was silent, Kurt expected her to be a bit put off by the 'ex-girlfriend' bit, but she smiled softly and looked at him with such a warm expression that he instantly felt himself heating up in the cheeks under his blue fur.

"I know I've been difficult lately. Trust me, I know. I've been a bitch," she admitted, to which he instantly denied with a stern finger-wagging, "But the fact that you're still trying to help me accomplish this whole thing is astounding. Here I am, thinking about what I should do and what matters to me, but you just stay here helping me. You're such a wonder, Kurt Wagner."

"I try to be."

"So... tell me about this ex-girlfriend of yours that you've ceased to mention until now," she teased with that cunning smirk that always guaranteed to make Kurt's tail curl up in nervousness, "I'd like to know more before I actually meet the woman who once had your heart."

He blinked. Was that a tone of jealousy that he could hear?

"Evelyn, your green skin is showing..."

She blinked, looking appalled for a moment before hopping off of the bench and pulling her jacket together.

"What? Where? You know green isn't my color."

And for the first time since the death of Giorgio Dimitru, the couple laughed gleefully without seemingly a care despite the storm of problems circling in their heads.

.:: The Sound of My Vendetta ::.

Even their own home was not safe from Marcceli's watch. That frightened Evelyn beyond words as she realized that no real place she considered a sanctuary was now not such. As she sat on the couch next to Kurt with his hand rubbing up and down her back soothingly, her hands were trembling as she read the words on the piece of parchment that had been left in their mailbox. Her fingers clenched the paper as she felt her brain struggling to hold back her anger and panic.

_Dear Ms. Dimitru,_

_You have three weeks to prepare yourself for this battle. I am not a dishonorable man. What Mortea did was beyond my control and against my orders. For that, I will not bother you for the allotted time I have allowed you. Be sure to train your skills wisely so that you may actually prove a challenge to me when we fight. Do not disappoint me. _

_If you do not show up at the given location in three weeks' time, I will slaughter every single mutant inside of that pit you call the institute. And I'll make sure to hang that blue demon and gut him right before your very eyes if you do not comply. _

_This is between you an me, my child._

_I do not wish to drag those mutants into this. Do not force my hand._

_Marcceli Mazzonet_

Her hands were shaking terribly now as she folded the note shut and let it fall to her lap. Tears had welled up in her eyes as she just seemed to stare at nothing in particular, just the space in front of her like the note was still in her grip.

Brushing Evelyn's hair behind her ear, a supportive gesture that Kurt knew she liked, he pulled her close to him and allowed her to cry. Her hands clung to him as she wept softly into his chest, his eyes closing somberly while he pressed his lips to her head.

"You know if it comes to that, we can fight him. I really don't want you to have to face him all by yourself..."

The petite woman remained silent for quite a long time. She was thinking, Kurt knew, because her brow was knit together in a stern expression. She had opened her mouth to speak for a moment but then she shut it again. Evelyn could not come up with an answer. Without a way to just... win, she had no clue of which path was actually the correct one.

One thing stood out for her, however. One thing that she could simply not allow, not matter how dangerous things would seem.

"The X-Men cannot get involved. I won't allow it, Kurt. I just... I can't."

The tall, blue male nodded, a defeated expression on his face. There was no way that Evelyn was going to allow any inhabitants from the mansion to fight for her. This was her battle, a fight belonging to her, and her mutant family had no place getting themselves trapped in the middle of it. The Romanian woman would not risk her family's well-being out of fear or cowardice.

Even though it was plain to see that her whole body was trembling.

Kurt took her hands in his, kissing her long and hard before he stood up from the couch and released his grip on those pale fingers.

"Then I should go and call her, then... As much as I don't like speaking with that woman, it is for everyone's best interest. I'll be right back."

"I'll start dinner, then?" she offered as she herself stood as well.

She saw her fiancee nod thankfully, and felt his tail brush along her bottom flirtatiously. It certainly went along with the smile on his face. "See you later, Evelyn."

The small woman smiled.

"Love you."

"And I love you."

Catching another flash of a fanged smile, Evelyn laughed under her breath and went over to the kitchen to cook their dinner.

She silently wondered what kind of woman Kurt used to date.

Was she beautiful? What color hair did she have? How did they meet? Was this before the X-Men? In the circus?

Her head was pounding a bit the more she thought about it. She closed her eyes. The water was beginning to smoke and was about to boil, she noted, and opened the package of bow tie pasta that she had set out on the counter earlier. A quick check of the counter reminded her that she had indeed set out the herbs and the almonds.

A pesto? She smiled.

Would Kurt enjoy that? Yes, she supposed, as long as there was a slab of meat on the side!

The thought made her giggle.

.:: The Sound of My Vendetta ::.

Tiny lights danced in her vision as Kurt thrust into her late in the night. Frail and thin fingers ran over his back to pull his body closer, and her hips lifted in need to drive him deeper inside. The feeling of him cradling her body protectively against his even in the throes of passion humbled her and melted her heart. Evelyn's fingers scratched down his luxurious back, earning a loud purr to erupt from her lover while he had been tortuously nipping at the pliant flesh of her neck.

She could feel his muscles shifting under her touch.

He moved his face to hers, and she kissed him with such a heated passion as he thrust against her. It was divine. She audibly sighed blissfully at the taste of him, her toes curling in ecstasy. Just as she was about to reach her orgasm, Evelyn felt Kurt pulling her up on his lap as he sat, the blankets tangled around their legs from the sudden change in position.

Everything was quiet for a long moment. Only their harried breaths and sighs could be heard in the silence of their bedroom, and soft mewls from Evelyn while those strong hands skimmed her ribs and waist.

Then, his forehead pressed against hers and his tail circled her thigh, the spade tracing random shapes along between the valley of her legs. Her soft noises increased in volume.

Those tiny fingers wound themselves into his indigo locks, teasing and tugging lightly as her slim torso pressed against his lean one. Kurt's hands slid down from her waist to grasp her hips and lower back as she began to slowly ride him from this position. He had to bite back a loud groan at that, the new position making her feel so much tighter and allowing him to sheathe himself completely inside of her with each thrust.

His mouth latched onto the curve of her neck as the next loud moan came from his fiancee. He bit and nipped affectionately while suckling on the pale skin, leaving pink marks as he moved along. From the way her fingers kneaded his scalp and her pace increased, Kurt gathered that she approved of his ministrations.

One of Evelyn's hands moved from his head down to his chest as she continued to lower herself to be impaled on his manhood over and over again. Their pace was becoming erratic. She was so damned close, and they could both sense it. He wanted to bring her to the peak of pleasure, making her writhe and blush from the passion. The look on her face when they made love—it was the most alluring and enchanting thing he'd ever witnessed.

Those pale cheeks would be flushed pink, crystalline blue eyes would be dilated and forever staring into his with a look of longing, and her lips would be soft but swollen from their shared kisses.

Her eyes bore into his as if on cue. Just the look in her eyes was enough to bring him close as well, and he allowed his instincts to take over so he could bring the both of them to that ultimate and sought-after finish.

Leaning her back onto the pillows and mattress, Kurt moved her legs to wrap around his waist as his hands grasped tightly at her hips. Her hips shifted against him as he held her there.

This was not going to be their last night together. Kurt knew that. But there was still that part in his mind that feared the battle in three weeks even while they made love. However, he would not show his intense worry to Evelyn, making sure that she got as strong as she could in order to win. It was all he could really do from his position.

How he wished to marry her...

The blue male thrust himself into her hard, pushing in deep until she took all of his length in and she threw her head back in a cry of his name. He gnashed his teeth together at the ripple of pleasure that exploded in his brain. That white-hot ecstasy that burned in his loins.

How he prayed that she survived...

His pace now being fast and rough, he slammed himself into her, reveling in all the little noises she would make and the way she would call out his name. With each single thrust, he could feel himself getting closer.

How he wanted—needed—to have her like this again...

And finally, he felt her tighten around him as she reached the peak of her climax. His name reverberated off the walls around them. With one final thrust, he released inside of her while he gripped her hips tighter.

How he indeed loved her...

Kurt pulled out of Evelyn slowly before he carefully laid down next to her and pulled her to him to just hold her there as they caught their breaths and steadied their pounding hearts.

The petite Romanian nuzzled her face into his chest, sighing blissfully as her body settled down from those waves of pleasure. Their legs were tangled together and his tail was lazily draped over her waist, his arms gently wrapped around her torso.

She pressed her mouth to his collarbone lazily as she was balancing on the line between being awake and asleep. The muscular male chuckled under his breath, moving his head down a bit to capture those pink lips in a searing kiss. The woman responded in earnest. With her nails, she scratched lightly down his arms while they kissed, soothing the fur and muscles. One of his three-fingered hands captured her thigh and brought it to rest at his hip before he began to grind himself against her.

Those shocks from her nerves woke Evelyn right back up. That, and the fact that she realized that Kurt was _very _awake himself. Both of his hands were on her lower back and buttocks, gripping lightly onto the skin to hold her lower body to his.

They pulled away for a breath of air, Kurt brushing his mouth along her ear as he whispered to her in his native tongue, the need for her evident in his voice. Then, his mouth began to move downward.

"You know... I'm not leaving tomorrow, sweetheart," she breathed as he worked on lapping at the supple flesh of her breasts.

His body tensed, still trembling from need.

"I... I know. But I just really don't want to go to work tomorrow." His tail was now wrapped about her calf, a habit he had whenever he felt like he wanted to be closer to someone. The tail connected to them as a life line or support. It made him calm down.

"Then don't go to work tomorrow."

"But Emma—," "Tell her to fuck off. She'll understand, if you explain, I think."

Kurt's body shook as laughter rumbled in his chest, his head moving back up to claim her lips. An audible gasp escaped Evelyn as she felt his length enter her once again.

Something told her that she wasn't going to get very much sleep that night.

.:: The Sound of My Vendetta ::.

It was after two in the afternoon when the doorbell to Kurt and Evelyn's home rang throughout the house. They were both in the kitchen, Kurt looking at the mail while he laughed softly at seeing his little love attempt to figure out how exactly to make a casserole.

"I just don't understand why you can't ask Ororo for some recipes. You know she's into making meals for the younger students. Wait! Ask Remy, since he's... you know, Cajun."

"Just because he's Cajun, it automatically makes him an expert on the culinary arts, then?"

Kurt's laugh was loud and heart-warming to her, and she found herself giggling along until the she heard the doorbell ring.

"You don't know unless you ask. Maybe that's him, ready to protect his title as a culinary expert because he was born with the skills!"

She gave him a look that clearly said don't-mock-me-or-I'll-get-you-back before she left the kitchen to answer the door. Instinctively, she straightened her layered top and brushed her hands over her jeans as she reached the door.

A blonde, blue-eyed, curvacious woman awaited her on the other side; a calm expression on her face and a storm of knowledge lurking behind those beautiful orbs she called eyes. They seemed to put Evelyn's chilly gaze to shame with their comparable warmth.

The tall woman slanted her hips, putting one manicured hand on the one that shot outward. She flashed a sweet grin to Evelyn.

"My name is Magik, but since you're going to be a part of the family, you can just call me Amanda."


	7. Chapter Seven: Guns and Horses

The Sound of My Vendetta

Chapter Seven: Guns and Horses

If you were to ask Evelyn what she thought she would be doing when she saw Amanda that morning, you would not have gotten the current situation as an answer. No matter how many times you asked or how many scenarios you provided. The situation she was in definitely could be used as the liable definition for 'awkward'.

Three still-warm cups of tea were sitting on the quaint, ebony coffee table between them. Evelyn and Kurt sat on the couch while their blonde and blue eyed guest sat on the recliner. The demonic mutant had his arm around his fiancee's slim waist, a tense look about him. He was highly uncomfortable in this circumstance. Silently, the Romanian could sense that Ms. Sefton took a silent delight in making her lover uncomfortable.

It unnerved her a bit. However, she remained silent and polite. This was an important meeting.

Finally, the German female spoke. "I'm more than positive that I can help you delve into the mysteries of your father's book, Evelyn. As much as Kurt thinks I can't," she mused with what seemed like a hint of jest toward the blue man, "Seriously, though, I would be more than happy to help. You are going to be a part of this family, Evelyn. No man, no matter how powerful, is going to stop that from happening on my watch."

"I am shocked at your eagerness, Amanda." Kurt's tone held a bit of a defensiveness that both shocked and amused the black-haired woman. He really was bothered by ex girlfriend being around her.

"I thought you would be."

Kurt did not really look amused. Evelyn just looked very confused, bothered even. Her expression had formed into a thoughtful scowl as she looked at the woman who used to be with her mate.

"You said that I'm going to be a part of your family. I'm marrying into Kurt's family."

A bell of laughter left the woman before she seemed to look at Kurt in blatant disbelief. The expression on his face was priceless, then.

"You haven't told her? What would mom think, Kurtis Bartholomew Wagner?" She then turned to face the ice-woman with a calmer expression. "We're foster siblings. My mother adopted him into the family when she found him abandoned. We may not be related by blood, but he's family. So... welcome to the family, sweetheart."

"..."

"_Mein Gott in Himmel_, Amanda..."

"Your middle name is Bartholomew?"

The two females in the room shared a laugh at the blue one's expense. Evelyn was indeed shocked at the fact of Amanda being Kurt's foster sister Jimaine Szardos from his life in the traveling circus before he had arrived at the mansion. She didn't voice her surprise, however, allowing it to be settled in the back of her mind for the moment.

It did bother her to a certain level, admittedly. How many more things about Kurt's past did she not know anything about? Was he purposely keeping secrets from her? Did he simply believe that they were not important things to speak of? Did Kurt bear any regrets?

She snapped out of her daze as she heard the soft chime of the tea cup hitting the saucer after Amanda finished drinking. "I should be going, then. I need to get things ready to begin your training, Evelyn. I do hope you'll rest tonight. Tomorrow is when we will begin."

"I'll let you out, Amanda," offered the Romanian lady as she stood from sitting next to her blue and very tense fiancee.

The tone seemed to drop, temperature chilling around them when they reached the front door. This was the time for bad news. The two women shared a weary glance at the doorway, their expressions taking on a more somber visage.

"I know you'll become strong enough to win this," began the lovely German woman who Evelyn had a chance of calling 'sister' one day. "I have just as much faith in you as Kurt does, and you know how much faith he can carry in that beating heart."

"I know, Amanda. The only one lacking faith seems to be me."

It seemed the taller of the two had something more to say, but faltered at first, her mouth closing slowly as she averted her eyes. These were heavy words she carried. If they were spoken, what kind of can of worms would burst open just at the utterance of them? How would the pale girl react to such a bombshell of a realization?

"To be honest, I have something to warn you about besides the obvious, I'm afraid. This man, Marcelli, may have turned to a common enemy for information on you and your father." Those damned words were very difficult for her to even think, let alone say. "After looking into how in the world he could have even known where the school was... I happened upon something ghastly. Marcelli had met with Erik Lensherr not too long before these events began."

Evelyn recognized that name in no time at all. Any X-Man did.

"Magneto?"

"Yes, sadly. It seems to me that he had no guilt in disclosing this information to your enemy. Maybe the death of Charles Xavier rattled him into thinking that no such formality was in play. Who knows? All that matters is that this is what happened and you need to decide what you're going to do with this knowledge."

The recently orphaned woman had many choices. She could exact revenge on the man who let out the location. But would she really try and fight Magneto himself? No. The pale girl in front of Amanda was no fool in the least. But she was angry.

"It is because of Magneto that Marcelli found your father. I'm sorry."

Her fists clenched, mostly from the pure frustration of just not being able to do anything. She had not been alert to save her father from death, and it haunted her severely. And now knowing than an old enemy who she believed to have settled for the moment arises as the cause for her distress? What else could go wrong in such a short time?

Bloody fuck, she cursed in her mind, don't jinx it!

What could she do now? There was no way to bring her father back. None. She was not an idiot. But she could, in fact, confront Magneto with a team. Push him for any information, maybe. She wasn't sure just then. Her mind was a squall of worry and anger.

Because of Magneto, her entire family was in danger.

_Ask Emma_, her mind screamed. _Beg on your damned knees if you have to do it. But you need to find some sort of leverage against Marcelli. Who else besides the man who may be in cahoots with him right now? _

"Thank you for telling me. I am upset, but I prefer knowing the truth. For that... I am extremely grateful." It was the honest truth.

"Just make sure not to die. I will not shy away from haunting you in the afterlife if you abandon my brother here without a wife. You two are a match made in... well... proverbial heaven. So give it your all during your training and do what you need to do before three weeks' time. Prepare yourself to the fullest. And then," she paused, pulling the Romanian into a quick embrace.

"Murder him."

A grin came on her features.

"I plan to."

No, it was not a very 'heroic' thought. Evelyn knew it too. However, she was also highly aware that this needed to end—either with her death or Marcelli's. She had a man to come home to. A family. She was not going to let them suffer because of her cowardice, and she was not going to abandon them by dying.

Amanda bids her future sibling goodbye, an understanding sympathy in her eyes as she walks down the path away from the house. Evelyn feels herself starting to register just how deep things are becoming inside of her own mind now. All of these thought processes and plans that she now has to mull over more than ever had begun to eat away at her nerves. The female could feel the beginnings of anxiety and stress start to crawl amongst her nerves like unseen parasites. It felt unsettling in her gut, being so unsure and afraid.

She shut the front door and leaned her forehead against it for a good, long moment. Evelyn needed some calm in her life after hearing such horrifying news.

Kurt was already at the hall leading to where she was, an unreadable expression reflecting in those golden orbs.

Walking up to his little love, he wasted no time in moving his arms around her and pulling that body to his. Her sobs after that gesture tore at his heartstrings in the worst ways possible. It was at times like these that the mutant known as Nightcrawler hated most.

He could not ease her pain.

Sure, he could help her forget for a moment with jokes and flirtatious actions... but how long could he manage to discern her brain from thinking those terrible thoughts? Not for a very long time at all. He knew that. It didn't make the useless feeling settle any more.

So he did what he could do at the moment. Kurt lifted her chin and melded his lips to hers in a heated kiss, smirking as the littlest of blissful sighs came from her.

By God, he would do his best to ease any stress she had. Not that it bothered him at all to make her blush and laugh.

"I'm joining you in going to the school tomorrow." "Oh? And to what do I owe the honor, my beautiful love?"

She rolled those blue eyes indignantly. He just grinned.

"A somber topic, actually, but I need to speak to Emma. I know—gross."

"Something tells me that she would honestly be so appalled by some of the things you think of her that she might actually curl up and shrivel from the intensity."

His little Romanian fiancee smiled at the imagery, earning her a chiding look and an accusing scowl from the blue mutant.

"Now that's an entertaining notion."

.:: The Sound of My Vendetta ::.

The former White Queen of the Hellfire Club stared down Evelyn with an inquisitive look in her cold, blue eyes. This young, Romanian native was alone in the room with her. Kurt was at work, teaching young students in his drama class. She had no one to defend her but herself. It was unnerving to stand alone against the older blonde.

"And you're positive that Magneto told this man where we're located?" "Magik sensed it, so yes. It explains how he knew but it also means that the school might have become a target. However, he has promised not to hurt any of you if I comply. If I fight him and by chance lose, he will stop all advances whatsoever. But if I win... I will feel much safer. For both the school and I. For all of us."

Emma's eyes seemed to harden at the first sign of danger for the students. No matter how cold of a woman she acted the part of, Miss Frost had a warmth for every single young one she grew to meet in her line of work. She was like the watchful and distant caretaker with the heart of a withdrawn mother, much to Evelyn's bemusement.

Now she left the decision of what to do to this woman.

"You bring up a good point, like always, Tundra," she finally said with a hint of hidden pride. The angular-faced woman shot her sharp gaze to the pale female and sighed.

"I agree with your statement. But I also know that I cannot exactly allow Magneto to just think he can get away with this. Your father was the one who paid the ultimate price—and for that I am very sorry..." Her tone was sincere. "This also means that the students have a chance of being exposed. You are correct. So, I will comply. What is your plan?"

It had actually gone well? Emma agreed? Evelyn sat there in shock, nervously scratching at the wood armrest with the tips of her nails.

You knew you were in danger and in need of assistance when you went to your much-despised ex-boss and pleaded for her own help to avenge your family... and she agrees.

"Contact Magneto. Somehow, I don't know. Tell him a team is going to speak with him on neutral territory. There will be no fighting. This is a confrontation of diplomacy."

"And you think he'll agree to such a thing? Magneto?"

Evelyn let out a sigh from her nose, closing those blue eyes with a chilling sense of fear and self-doubt that seemed to always loom amongst her thoughts.

"Beg if you have to."

The white-clad X-Woman nodded somberly, excusing herself to continue with the paperwork piled neatly on her desk that she had been neglecting. Evelyn took this as her way of saying that she was dismissed from the headmistress's presence and took her leave with a silent nod in respect and thanks.

As she made her way down the hall and into the main path back to the foyer to perhaps take a quick trip to visit Kurt's classroom for old time's sake, her eyes caught a late student rushing down the same path she was headed toward. She called out to the brown-haired teen, his body tensing as if expecting to be reprimanded by the adult who had caught him.

"What's your name?"

"My... my name is Kevin Ford."

Wither. Evelyn had heard of this boy. The ability to literally decompose any organic substance he touched in a matter of seconds. He had no control. He was also a social outcast amongst his own peers, from her understanding. Kurt had told her about him.

She then decided to make his day easier.

"Where are you headed, Kevin?" The boy seemed startled, if not confused, by her kind tone. Her husky eyes did seem to put people into a defensive front. How startling.

"Drama class..." "Good, good. Come with me. I'm headed there too."

The expression on his face actually shifted from tense to that of a relative calm. He was a smart kid, indeed. Just because a kind adult was headed in the direction you were was not immediate proof that they would be your lifeline when you're late to class.

"I'll try and get him to go easy on you."

Now he looked relieved. "Thank you. This isn't a regular thing for me, I swear. I just... it took me a while getting ready this morning."

"And by that, you mean that you just didn't feel like spending the day out of your room knowing that whispers about your powers awaited you."

The teenaged male looked up, startled. "How did you know?"

A smile lit of her face as she placed a comforting hand on his covered shoulder. How painful it truly must be not to have human contact because of something you could not control. At least Rogue could touch for a moment and not harm... but him? He was worse off.

"I was your age once, too, Kevin. And while I will not stand here and say my experiences were as difficult as yours are and will be... they were not kind. I can sympathize and understand sometimes not wanting to be around people and just savoring that moment of solitude to just vent. But it is not a healthy thing to pursue. Humans are social creatures. Whether you believe it or not, the more time you spend around your peers, the better things will become. Some how, some way... it happens."

They were now standing in front of Kurt's classroom. Kevin looked apprehensive, at best. Her gaze softened at the tenseness of his shoulders, giving it a squeeze. She was here for him.

Easily now, Evelyn could understand why Emma had such a soft spot for these kids. They were the future. They were bright.

They knew pain.

.:: The Sound of My Vendetta ::.

When you stand in front of Magneto himself, you feel like an ant in an ant farm being watched over by your god—your owner telling you to lower your class and do what they want as a way of keeping yourself favored and alive. The man had a presence of pure power and certainty. A strong and disheartening feeling of surrender pulsed through your veins when he looked down on you, effectively turning you into a pile of dirt.

But Evelyn bit back all of those feelings. Right then, that man was no Magneto. He was Erik Lensherr, the man who was the reason for her father's untimely death.

"Charles Xavier was your friend, Lensherr. How could you just go and reveal the location of his sanctuary of a school to a man you knew was less than stable and willing to do whatever he needed to get what he desired? A mutant man died because of your actions!"

The woman sounded much more confident than she felt, even with a team of X-Men standing strong and unmoving behind her like a wall of friends she could always lean on even in this man's towering appearance.

Iceman was actually silent and carried a serious expression. Giorgio had been the sort of man to beat sense into the cocky young man, and had been a good person to chat with during break hours from their teaching jobs. Bobby had actually shed tears for the Romanian mutant.

Gambit admittedly did not know the middle-aged man as well as Bobby had... but he still carried an effect for the Cajun. Remy was a man of respect, and Giorgio demanded it. He was a strong and honest man who spoke his opinion even if the entire room disagreed. The red-eyed thief was one to respect such a gutsy individual.

Wolverine stood there almost as angry as the woman herself. That man was a tough being in every sense of the word. Watched his family die in front of him and kept fighting on in life, even if he thought all hope was gone. Then, his daughter found him. They found each other. Once he had the chance to leave all of the pain behind—Magneto ruined it. Logan was not a man to take such an act of sick betrayal lightly.

Erik Lensherr seemed to sneer at those words, as if they physically caused him harm.

"When will you fools realize that Xavier's dream died with him?" His voice was woven with anger and absolution. And with grief. Xavier had been his friend, after all. The man's death was not planned on either sides, and they knew this.

But Magneto had crossed a line.

"As long as there are X-Men, people who believe in what Charles Xavier spoke of, his dream will be in all of our hearts. It is not dead nor will it ever die!"

Mystique, Pyro, Toad, and Avalanche all tensed as the group of X-Men turned to the other way, entering the portal formed by Pixie.

After they disappeared back to their home, their school, the Brotherhood was left to meander away amongst themselves. Magneto bore an unreadable look in his eyes, his eyes fixed to where the young woman had just stood.

Xavier once carried that same look when he declared his dream.


	8. Chapter Eight: Before the Worst

The Sound of My Vendetta

Chapter Eight: Before the Worst

_I would not recommend training with Amanda Sefton to anyone I care about. Mind you, she was a grand tutor who knew what she was doing, so that was much appreciated—but she was also a very strict teacher. She pushed me to my mental limits. That woman who I would perhaps one day call my sister-in-law was merciless when it came to learning the arts. Then again, I doubted that any other student had less exposure than I and the given time limit, to boot. _

_While it had been a rough three weeks of nonstop training and frustrated migraines, it had paid of greatly. I understood the Tome. Never would I match the skills of my father and Marcelli, considering they had years while I had weeks, but I also had good control of my mutant abilities. That was my father's mistake, Amanda explained. He had relied solely on his diminished skills with the Tome rather than switching in between his natural and arcane gifts._

_Marcelli was not a mutant. I was._

_So I was taught to use magic and powers in consistency with each other, forming chains of attack while also constructing good defenses in my wake. But for that, I had to raise my stamina, so she helped me build that up too. We covered all the grounds we could think of._

_It was extremely taxing, all that you really had to factor when even scratching the surface of ancient and arcane magic. All of the rituals and pronunciations and forms. Each and every factor was crucial and important. One mistake could cost someone their life—just one! How had my family done this sort of thing for centuries, let alone multiple families?_

_Despite the arduous challenge at hand, I successfully learned how to mix the two arts into a style all my own. Amanda told me that this unique fighting style would most likely be the only advantage over Marcelli that I will possess. He is older than I am, wiser, stronger. _

_But even he cannot see the future. I need to rely on what I have been taught as well as my instincts to catch him off guard in order to be victorious. _

_Never in my life had I ever felt so exhausted, as I did after each day. Every single day. Normally, it would become easier the more you got used to the strain, but Amanda reminded me almost hourly that we had three weeks. It was the mantra. Three weeks. It represented two things._

_My time limit or my time left to live. _

_So she pushed me with each lesson and each technique, not pausing if I looked ragged. While I normally would have been angry—I felt something else entirely. Gratitude. Kurt would not want me to slack off in the least. Amanda wanted, no, needed me to be ready for this battle. For both of our sakes, Kurt's... and mine. _

_It was an odd feeling returning to the real world from Limbo, Amanda's home as her role as Magik. I had admittedly gotten more than a little used to the hauntingly mythical feeling of it all. I now understood why such an abstract but phenomenal thing like magic never faded in history. _

_It was timeless, always changing with the world itself, as if magic were a living being. Then again, I suppose it must be..._

_Magic had to be a living being all on its own._

_I know this now, and it is something I feel that I should have known all along. But being raised most of my life thinking that magic was just an art pursued by those who dabbled in the arcane and nothing more, I could see how I missed such an important view and realization._

_Still, I find myself questioning whether or not it has a conscience, magic. Does it choose sides or does it give full power to those it deems worthy or strong enough? Is it really just a matter of saying the right thing or making the right move at the right time? Is there more to this art than just timing and perfection? Was there another factor that others had overlooked, even for all of these years?_

_And now I find myself questioning whether or not I was the first to ponder these conundrums. _

_Amanda's lessons had me thinking about one too many things at once, I supposed. Little rest and continuous training would do that to you._

_But it was all worth it, in my mind. I would do whatever I had to in order to ensure a higher percentage of my survival and the safety of those I cared for—especially the students. There was no part of me that ever wished to expose them to a man like Marcelli; a man willing to kill for his childish desires and nuances of revenge._

_I would win this fight._

Glimmering eyes of azure stared back at the Romanian woman as she looked into the pristine mirror in the shared master bathroom. Her complexion was a bit pallid, within reason. The usually calm expression she bore was etched with a shadow of doubt. Evelyn was more afraid than she would ever openly admit to anyone, even herself. She was going to fight in a battle that had an unsure outcome and her opponent had quite the advantage as it was. She was definitely scared.

The feeling of the all too familiar texture of her X-suit was like a security blanket she'd thought to have gotten over long ago. It seemed to give her a sense of protection and confidence that she didn't think she'd be able to feel, given the circumstances. The suit itself seemed to whisper words of past victories and overcome challenges that cleansed away the doubt and fear.

Slightly trembling fingers traced along the emblem of the silver "X" on her collar somewhat absently as she continued to look at her own veiled expression. So many doubts coursed through her mind and it stirred up a squall of self-doubt. Effectively, Evelyn's mind was reeling.

Then, setting both hands on the cool counter top, her fists clenched as she slumped forward from the haggard fatigue her emotions were bringing.

A pair of warm arms then proceeded to surround her waist, familiar lips brushing the side of her neck with feather-light gentleness. Evelyn placed her hand on Kurt's. This is what she was fighting for; the people she loved above all others. It was then that she realized something—she was no longer afraid to fight Marcelli. That hesitation and worry that he was too powerful seemed to vanish as Kurt's warmth seeped into her skin.

The fear of death lessened, but was there. However, fighting Marcelli was now seen as a mission in life, rather than a task she dreaded. She knew what she had to do because she had a purpose to do it for.

Her fiancee's breath tickled her ear as he began to whisper in his native tongue. It was something she was used to hearing: the Lord's Prayer. Without knowing it, a smile appeared on her face as she allowed herself to lean back against him when he ended his words.

"Toss in a good word for me. I'm going to need all the help I can get, considering I have to go in alone..."

The blue mutant's hold tightened on his lover while those golden eyes bore into their reflection. How terrified he was, seeing how afraid she really was despite her hiding it, and being unable to offer any sort of assistance besides his many prayers to God for her safety. Nothing was written in stone as far as he was in knowledge, and it most likely would never be until the end of it all. No one knew who would win...

So he needed to have faith.

His chin rests on her shoulder now, a breath of a sigh leaving him.

"I have faith in you. Hopefully, it will be enough to keep you safe, Evelyn."

For a moment, there was silence, and Kurt worried that his words may have caused more harm than support.

But then...

"I know it will."

The sheer honesty in her tone caught him off guard, albeit he was happy to hear it. She have faith in him to have faith in her. It was a connection of truth and belief that Kurt still could not fathom, but he was more than thankful for it. Their trust. It was unparalleled.

With his heart pounding in surprise the way it was, he'd be shocked if she couldn't hear it also.

Underneath his touch, her body seems to relax, muscles loosening and stance calming. Not long after that, she turned in his hold and looked up at him with an indiscernible expression. Despite the trouble reading her eyes, Kurt felt a pleasant chill move up his spine.

And then she was shrugging off the top of her suit, and he pressed her back against the counter as his lips found hers in a heated kiss.

Over time, they found themselves in their bedroom, hastily removing article after article, not ever really releasing their lip lock except for air or quick shifts in positioning.

Then, it was nothing but absolute ecstasy for the two for the rest of the night.

.:: The Sound of My Vendetta ::.

Evelyn found herself waking while it was still dark. Instantly, she knew something was amiss when she felt the tenseness of Kurt's body next to hers. His jaw was clenched, and his golden eyes were glimmering with what could only be well-hidden tears.

"I'm not going to lost, Kurt, you can't get rid of my that easily. Please trust me when I say that I will do my damned best to come back to you," she whispers before leaning forward and presses the gentlest of kisses against his neck. She then leaned upward, lips brushing against his ear. A smile appears on her face as she hears the hitch in his breath.

"I'm so sure, I might as well start signing things as Miss Evelyn Wagner from now on."

His chuckle was the only answer she needed.

It seemed like not long at all before Kurt was once again in a calm slumber, his head nestled comfortably on her chest and his arms around her in a gentle embrace. While she was more than peaceful in this position and how he seemed to relax despite all of the pressure... doubt began to creep into her mind in the darkness.

Tears began to fall down her cheeks as she blankly stared up at the ceiling of their room.

_I cannot die! I want to live! No... I __**need **__to live. For him, for the students, for my friends, for Tata, for myself... Marcelli, hear me when I say that your life will end today. I will not—cannot—lose to you in the same way my father did._

_God... we do not speak often if at all, but please, grant me the strength to survive._

_Do it for Kurt._

_Please, just do this for him. I don't want him to suffer anymore._

_Grant me this one wish._


	9. Chapter Nine: Live and Let Die

The Sound of My Vendetta

Chapter Nine: Live and Let Die

The End: Part One

"And so we find ourselves at the place of our final battle, Evelyn Negrescu," speaks Marcelli with a strangely stoney but excited look upon his face as he proudly stands amongst trees in the forest's clearing. His clothing is absurdly ornate, given the situation he faces, being a set of red and white robes that look as if they belonged to a shaman in a past life. Evelyn felt almost peasant-like and meek in her custom uniform for the X-Men in comparison. Then again, she also felt less silly.

Both of them each held their respective tomes in their grip. It looked much natural for Marcelli to be doing so, and less so for Evelyn. The older male seemed to carry it with overbearing confidence and calm, while she was stuck possessing the heirloom with much less pride and stance. The difference between their experience and knowledge was more obvious than the opposition of their personalities at this point.

Did she allow it to stop her from feeling that surge of power knowing that she had an advantage that this man did not? Definitely not. It was her ace in the hole, and she'd be damned if she would allow his cockiness deter what she had worked so hard on with Amanda to achieve.

"So we do, Marcelli Mazzonet..."

Her own voice was a stranger to her ears. When did she carry that tone of timidity, of uncertainty? Did this man really bring the young woman down a peg so violently that her own attitude shifted to something along the rates of fright—even cowardice?

The mere thought left a bitter taste in her mouth. Sure, Evelyn was afraid of certain things, she was no fool to think otherwise. But to imagine being frightened by the man who killed your family was more sensible, wasn't it? Not to her. The Romanian did not want to be afraid of Marcelli, she wanted to only feel hatred toward him. There should be no room allowed for him to instill fear. To push away that sliver of fear would open up her thirst for vengeance, however, and seeking revenge was one of the main things that led to uncontrollable insanity or anger. In order to have a good chance in winning this fight at all, she needed to keep her head on straight, not go in wildly like a bull exposed to the color red.

With her heart pounding in her head like a mental war drum signaling for her to start initiating some sort of start, Evelyn took a small step forward, eyes never leaving the man who made her life hell from the start. This was the end. It would all be over, one way or another, and she was going to make sure of that...

No matter what the end would be...

Marcelli would be dead.

She would undoubtedly make sure of that fact above all else. Even if Evelyn herself were to perish there, she would be taking him with her to the grave.

The faces of her friends and loved ones began to pass through her mind at that moment while the two stared each other down in a severe moment of silence. Each expression was unique and unforgettable, another vow to keep. Every single person she thought of was her strength. It was a given that she would do her best to not disappoint them.

All she had to do was win against him, right? That was all. As soon as Marcelli was dead, all of the horrors would be over and done with and she would be free to go home to continue her life. It was all supposed to end there, with them, starting at that moment.

… But then the Darkwalkers appeared, surrounding the brush of trees as black spears of opposition—nothing more than physical fences around her escape.

Marcelli had lied.

"I hope you don't mind that I invited a few guests to our meeting, girl. They were just so excited to see how things unfolded. I couldn't just leave them there, you see," Marcelli teased with a bitter grin on his aged face, eyes sparkling with hardly contained malice. He was mad—no longer sane.

Evelyn's expression turned hard and cold. While she looked confident and angry, she was actually very much frightened on the inside having seen just how much authority this man held over his practically mindless subordinates. They were effectively his slaves... nothing more than his puppets following a mad man's will. It was disheartening to think that some of the people around them right now could be a part of a good family, been good people themselves until he had gotten to them. She had never found herself pondering the actual existence of her enemies besides the point that they needed to either surrender or die. To think of them as fellow beings was more than just a little bit painful.

However, she also knew for the fact that they saw her as nothing more than an obstacle in their master's insane plot for vengeance. So she had to see them as what they were now; tools.

"The more the merrier. I've a few friends of my own."

The black-haired woman touched the emblem at her collar, glaring daggers at the male before her as she did so.

It was not even a moment later that the ground seemed to tremble beneath their feet. A loud vacuum of sound echoed around them for but a moment before all was silent once more. Then, not long after at all, silhouettes appeared in the distance due west. The Darkwalkers closed in on the two people in the center of the ring when the shades in the gained identities.

Colossus, Wolverine, Iceman, Beast, Rogue, Emma Frost, and Cyclops then entered the scene with determined expressions etched on their faces. Logan was already snarling and tearing apart a shocked Darkwalker without so much as a warning. The others followed suit in barely a moment's notice, each picking their own target without so much as an afterthought. This was another battle to them—another fight—but to Evelyn, it was an end. They knew that. These X-Men, her friends and family, were fighting so she could have a chance to end it all.

The look of sheer disbelief on Marcelli's face at that moment almost made the Romanian woman smile in elation. He certainly hadn't been expecting the presence of the X-Men, which was another shock factor that was sure to throw him off. Like Remy had taught Evelyn during many a game of poker, she would need to use as many tactics and shocking ploys as she could come up with to wow her opponent enough to gain an advantage. Never had she been more thankful to the ex-thief in her life for teaching her such a thing.

With a glare that would send a regular person into a fit of terror, Marcelli sent a glare toward Evelyn as the fighting continued to take part around them. Everyone else was distracted in their own battles at the moment. Evelyn and Marcelli were in the center of the dynamic fray, staring each other down, one angry and the other holding her ground to the best of her ability.

She licked her lips apprehensively. This was it. "There is nothing left to say. It all ends here, Mazzonet."

"So it does, Negrescu."

Then, the spells started flying, a collection of howling winds and burning shots of flames at the beginning of their retaliation. It was almost stifling to feel the energy and skill behind Marcelli's spells when compared to the drastic difference to Evelyn's amateur casting. He was easily overwhelming her even from the start. Now she understood more than ever just why her father seemed to fear this man so much, despite the obvious power he had possessed his entire life. Marcelli Mazzonet's name was one to be feared. Not because the man himself was frightening—but because he had immense magical power that could bring down his opponents. Mix that with an unstable mind and an unrelenting determination gets you a true enemy indeed.

The roots beneath her feet shot up from the ground, wrapping around her neck and slamming her back into the ground with a knocking force that left her breathless. A choking cough escaped her before she revealed her first trick: freezing Marcelli's feet to the ground.

His angry yell was all the confirmation she needed. The coiled plants slunk back into the ground not even a second later and Evelyn was back on her feet, slinging razor wind spells at the older male in rapid succession. She was taking advantage of his shocked and trapped state, not wasting even a precious second to collect herself or gain her bearings. The woman had no need to. Not yet.

Not everything was going smoothly, however. A loud cry distracted the Romanian woman for but a moment. Emma had been tackled down by a hulking mass of a Darkwalker, and she was being effectively strangled by his meaty paw of a hand. Everyone else was occupied with another of the lackeys, so no one could actually assist her without risking themselves. The X-Men were outnumbered in this battle.

But rescue came in the form of a green aura surrounding the said giant of a Darkwalker. He was then thrown into a grove of trees, making a crater where he had crashed. Hellion then swooped in from the skies, assisting his adviser to stand.

"Julian! I told you to wait in the jet until we called in. Why would you feel it would be alright for you to just disobey orders?"

The smirk on his face was almost trademark by now, Evelyn silently mused as she kept a distant eye on Marcelli.

"You can give me detention later, okay? Back up is here!"

Wolfsbane, Angel, Cannonball, Husk, Jubilee, and Storm then joined in on the fray. It was an amazing sight to behold indeed when Ororo Munroe took to the skies and brought the wrath of Mother Nature upon her enemies. Lightning struck down Darkwalkers and howling winds knocked the smaller members off of their feet, instantly giving the advantage to the X-Men. Tundra silently cheered as she saw Sam Guthrie shoot forward to take down a larger opponent, his sister following up with a bone-smashing punch to the earth below.

"You're a fool for putting yourself in danger like that." "I thought that comes with being an X-Man!" argued Julian to Emma before flying off and taking another DW fool with him.

"Besides..." he continued as he touched back down, "Kevin asked me to help Tundra. I couldn't really say no. She was my teacher, too."

Evelyn's resolve then swelled with a sense of peace at the recollection of Kevin Ford, the somber boy who she had walked to Kurt's class not too long ago. He remembered her and asked that Julian assist her in this mission. If anything, she needed to live to thank him in person.

When her eyes shifted back to continue on her assault, Marcelli had already escaped and had sent a blast of fire toward her. A rolling dodge to the right was her reflexive response before launching a burst of ice. It seemed to have hit the man, but the sheet of cold broke away not a moment later to reveal a stone being with glowing energy surging through it. The appearance resembled a golem, the Jewish being that was controlled by its master using magic. This sort of arcane power was far beyond what Evelyn could hope to accomplish.

While Evelyn did have the slight advantage of possessing both the talent in magic and her mutant abilities, using such amounts of energy was beginning to take its toll on her. Her strikes were more ragged and slow—not as damaging or impacting. Marcelli took notice of this almost suddenly.

Tundra pushed a wall of ice in front of her as a pause to catch her breath. Before her very eyes, it dispersed under his flame and gave way. She wasn't strong enough, even now. Even after the training she had gone through and all of the planning with Amanda... she couldn't hold her own against this man. Would she really die here, letting down all of the people who cared about her? Could she allow herself to bear the guilt that she had actually let Kurt down...?

Standing up on her feet with a huff and a frustrated growl under her breath, the pale girl pushed her inner energy into her hands. She needed to make one final assault, even if it left her weakened and open as a result. All she needed was one good hit on the bastard and it would be over for good. That was what she really wanted.

Sharp, icicle points grew in the shape of blades at the tips of her fingers, shaping to look like claws of some sort. Iceman made a loud call of cheer from above somewhere. The tiniest glistening wires of frozen power crawled along her skin, making it seem like the ice itself were alive and forming through her body. It looked... sentient. Marcelli then charged forward with a dagger at hand, tome forgotten behind him in his panic and rage. It was a foolish mistake. However, Evelyn was distracted and weak from her newly found talent, and the dagger managed to strike into her shoulder before she had been able to do anything but slightly tip toward the side to make sure the blade would not pierce her heart.

The pain was indeed immense. She would not allow it to blind her or to deter her concentration despite the shock quickly settling in. All of the power from before was slipping away, leaving nothing but a cold and hollow feeling that she could no longer control. Had he broken her hold on her abilities so much that manipulation was no longer a factor? Was she as much a pawn to these abilities she'd had for so many years as anyone else, or were they still on her side? Would these gifts come to her aid even if she was close to death...?

There was only one way to find out.

Evelyn's dainty fingers found themselves closing around Marcelli's throat, gripping tighter and tighter with each passing second. The anger at all he'd done was now eminent in her stare. This man was responsible for the death of her entire family, and he could be the one to harm her new family. Because of this sick and old man, her mother died when she was still able to be happy. Her sister died protecting her small siblings, as a true sister would do. Their puppy was gunned down in cold blood. Her brother was lost, not caring about his own life so long as Evelyn could get away. And then her father...

Her loving father who had continued to search for her...

Marcelli Mazzonet had been the one to murder him, too. And now the fool had dared to threaten the school? Evelyn should have murdered him when she had heart of the Darkwalkers back in Romania, but she had been too happy at seeing her father again. She had been a fool to show any kind of mercy upon them.

Now he would die and she would live.

It was starting to get increasingly difficult to keep her eyes open. Black spots were creeping in on her vision as Marcelli's lips turned blue and his eyes began to grow hollow. His skin became pale as he literally began to freeze from the inside out. His entire body was shutting down in an agonizing way, and Evelyn was the cause.

A final gasp of breath left the evil man, body going limp, and then the dark-haired woman fell over onto the ground; unconscious with a puddle of red blooming beneath her.


	10. Chapter Ten: Tourniquet

The Sound of My Vendetta

Chapter Ten: Tourniquet

The End: Part Two – Final Chapter

**So this is the final chapter of this piece. I have been working on Evelyn's story for a couple of years now, and it has been a journey I will be sure to never forget. I've met people through this story who have become very near and dear indeed and I've inspired people to begin writing, as well! For all of you who have followed this story, or those who are just reading these words, I write for you. If this story makes your day a little better or it just entertains you for the moments you read it, I am more than proud to have written it.**

**Also, as soon as I type the final words in the epilogue to this, I will begin working on a new story for this site. It will be larger and more expanse, taking place at the Academy X universe. If you want the link to the blog I will be opening for it, just message me. The blog itself will include pictures and designs for characters drawn by me or submitted by other fans. You will be able to ask the characters questions and have them answered for others to see, or it can be answered privately. I will also probably be posting scans of the Academy X comics from where I get story lines or quotes, etc. Miscellaneous announcements will be made on my progress on the chapters and even some sneak peeks into the writing process itself.**

**There will be a forum opened up for the story here as well, so keep an eye out for that. I'll mention it on my profile and the blog when it is set up. **

**Thank you for all of your kind words, readers, and please know that there is no greater honor that I know than being able to write for you. Keep on being yourselves and don't let the world tell you to change. You're all beautiful.**

.:: The Sound of My Vendetta ::.

She could have sworn just then that the dagger's blade was pushing against her bone, grating down and making her body feel like it is waging a war to stay awake or pass out again from the pain. Her sight was blurry from the agony, but she could make out a blue blur close to her. Since she knew Kurt wouldn't be around... it had to be Hank.

"Beast...? Is that y-you...?"

The relieved sigh was enough to let her know that she had been right. "Yes, my dear. We've taken care of the rest of those hooligans. It's over." Despite the pain going through her, she was elated at the news, nonetheless. She had survived, after all. That meant that she had kept her promise to herself and everyone else. Life would continue for her... if she was going to be able to move from the ground.

"I have a bit of Warren's healing blood with me. It's only enough to kick-start the healing process, so I'm going to have to yank that thing out before you bleed out, understood? It will hurt, Evelyn, but only for a moment. Once that is over with, we'll get you into the X-Jet and back to the mansion for some proper medical care."

In that moment, the weakened mutant could find no words kind enough to thank the man she had grown to see as the brightest in the world. All she could do was grip his hand as tightly as her ragged state would allow. Even though she could not see it, she could sense the furry man was smiling.

She smiled back, finally at peace with things.

"Ready, then?" "As much as I think I'll ever be..." she whispered in a trembling voice that was all too alien. Beast wasted no time in doing what he had to. The injection was given, a tingling sensation spreading over her wound. Not even a second passed when the dagger was torn from its resting place in her shoulder, pained yells and curses seeming to revitalize her for the moment. Hank was happy to see that she had not lost her spark even then. She was a strong woman, indeed.

Luckily, the wound was no longer in threat of bleeding heavily. Angel's blood took care of that. All that was left was to take her into the jet quickly so more treatment could be given. Then, she would most likely be in the green to heal up and be about in a short time. Once again, it was recalled in her mind that it was all over. Marcelli was dead. She saw it. Hank himself knew it, also, silently watching the corpse of the man who once made her life a nightmare. Henry McCoy never viewed himself as the judge of others, but this man did not deserve mercy. Not for what he had done. It was an unfair thought, he knew, but it felt right.

"Can you sit up, Evelyn."

She does so with a bit of a struggle, a sheen of sweat on her forehead and small tremors evident. The woman nods with a determined expression on her face. However, her blue eyes are fixed on the frozen body of Marcelli Mazzonet. "I need to do something before we go, if you'll let me, Doctor."

With his help, the Romanian girl limps over to the cadaver, a cold and distant look in her eyes. Hank was then reminded of how she used to be... far off and harsh, like a tundra. But now she had gained such a wise and warm gaze that he feared this experience may just push her back into that guarded persona.

Pale fingers reached out and grabbed the tome laying on the earth. It was her prize from this entire damn adventure—if one would stretch the term that far enough to think of it as such. Without the book, Marcelli looked as he truly was; an old man with nothing to his name but the evil in his heart. It must have been a sad existence, as well as a lonely one. The man was corrupt and cruel. Was death really his rightful punishment? Perhaps. Perhaps not. His fate could not be chosen by mortals, such as Evelyn, but his life could be ended by her. That was what she did. She took his fate into her hands, and she did what she had to in order to survive. It was that simple.

And now she had his book. It belonged to her. No one else would use it to cause havoc to others. It was a befitting end.

But now... now it was time to go home.

.:: The Sound of My Vendetta ::.

By now, nearly anyone who knew Evelyn Negrescu could openly tell you that she despised very few things more than she hated being cooped up in the Xavier Institute's infirmary. Even if Hank told her to not whine about it so the time would pass by quicker, she would continue in her silent brooding. It was a feud in itself for her to remain still in the sterile environment. It was boring.

"A splash of color really would do wonders for this place, Hank. Ever considered hiring an interior designer?"

"That is hardly what one does to a hospital, Evelyn."

As soon as Hank had finished speaking, the other blue resident of the mansion walked inside the bland room at quite the brisk pace. Kurt's tail was tense and not coiling behind him like it usually did—it was obvious that the German male was extremely tense because of the current situation, and Evelyn already began to feel guilt creeping in at the corners of her mind. To see her like this, injured but alive, would still bother Kurt. She should have been more careful. But being alive and hurt was better than being dead.

However, that feeling of immense guilt seemed to vanish into the air above as she saw the expression on his face as he rushed to her side. His face carried the expression of pure happiness. Sure, she was injured, but she had kept her promise. She was alive! She had trained so hard to fulfill his prayers, and in the end, he had been answered. Evelyn's eyes seemed to glisten with unshed tears. Kurt didn't call her out on them.

They embraced, the rest of the world seeming far away at that moment.

That was the case, at least until she pulled away with a pained hiss as her shoulder yanked her back into reality. She was still very injured. A kiss was pressed to her hand, head, cheek, and then her lips. A soft brush of that familiar texture, barely there at all, but warm and loving nonetheless.

She could not help the smile that made its way to her lips. "I told you that you wouldn't get rid of me that easily. I hope you learned your lesson, Kurt."

The fact that he laughed so cheerfully at the jest was surprising, but still extremely welcome. All of the tenseness from the past weeks was practically gone. He was almost back to his regularly joking self, and Evelyn could not be happier for it.

"Don't worry, I did, but you're never going to do something that insane ever again… so it's alright!"

The pale, young woman shot him a playful glare. He sure did know how to be the perfect jester when the situation called for it… and when it didn't. But he was right, in a way. While they were X-Men, it was definitely hard to imagine going through something like that ever again. But with anti-mutant rallies and the government even beginning to take note of the dangers that some mutants posed… it was a dangerous world for them. So was Kurt right, or was he lying to make her feel better? He knew as well as she that the world was unkind to them—he would know. But Kurt never let that change the way he protected people when he fought for the X-Men on missions.

That man had a golden heart that could never be ruined by hatred. Of course he could be shunned and hated always by those who were closed-minded, but he didn't care. There were people in the world who didn't mind his appearance, and with that knowledge to carry him through the hard times, Kurt continued to be a beacon of hope and kindness. That is why Evelyn was sure he truly believed they would be okay, because he knew she was strong like he was.

Her lips found his for a moment before she whispered softly. "We're X-Men, love, we do six stupid things before breakfast."

.:: The Sound of My Vendetta ::.

Two weeks later, Evelyn is in a sling and back home. Kurt began going back to work a week ago once she pretty much healed besides some final sore muscles that had yet to get back to their full potential, which was bound to happen in a span of two to four weeks' time.

A look of distant confusion was on her face at the moment. You see, there was a letter sitting in front of her. It only contained one sentence, not even a signature. All it said was "You were right" and nothing else. Who would have written such a thing to her? It didn't seem hostile, obviously, more like a compliment or a reluctant giving of thanks.

That was when it struck her.

This letter was from Magneto. When she had spoken to him to confront his revealing of the mansion, she must have said something that rocked him to do just this. What had it been? Evelyn sighed in frustrated ignorance. She was completely clueless and she hated it. He probably knew the mystery would get to her, too, the bastard.

Erik was no necessarily evil, just angry at the world for what he had gone through. With every mutant that is hurt or killed in this world, he takes it upon himself to kill the humans in return. He saw only a world where mutants ruled and thrived without persecution. But he was wrong. There will always be disagreement among people, and disagreement summons feelings of anger. Anger then will lead to hate. Hate spurns persecution.

No matter what the world changes to in the future, that will be a continuous factor in life itself. He cannot hope to change that.

Every living being had dreams they wished to pursue. Therefore, she could not despise or hate Erik Lensherr for the way he handled things. His life was far from grand. He hated human beings because the only way he had seen their ways were as war-hungry monsters that killed without remorse. He only knew beasts that killed those who were different from them.

He knew no other way, in the end.

But was he wrong in his endeavors? Yes. Erik could not play god and commit genocide against the humans. He was no better than those who hurt mutants! To him, however, it was the only way that the mutant race would survive. Xavier offered coexistence. Magneto offered eradication and rule. Who would be right in the end…?

The ringing of the phone next to her caused the Romanian to jump in her seated spot on the couch. It was the Insitute. Why would they be calling?

"Tundra, dear, it's Emma." _Oh. Here we go, then._

"Do you need something, Miss Frost?"

"How would you like to be the official English tutor for the students? I cannot think of anyone better suited for the job, and the kids do miss you."

It was certainly a shocking call to begin with, but things had just become more confusing for the woman. Emma honestly wanted her to go back to teach there? Had her way of handling the situation impressed the former White Queen so much that it had factored in this? She was astounded, and more than a bit honored. It was quite the feeling.

Perhaps they could get along. Maybe they could.

"It would be more than my pleasure, Emma. Once I'm fully healed, of course. Thank you."

"It's good to have you with us, Evelyn."

It wasn't until after they had hung up the phones that Evelyn realized Emma had called her by her first name, rather than her codename. She shook her head with a laugh.

It really is funny how things can change once your life has been set on the line. You might just find friends in people you never thought of before, or even people you despised. Sure, it sounded (and was) extremely cliché, but it was true. Dire situations did tend to change people for either better or worse—in this case, it was for the better, as Evelyn believed.

Points of views were always been changed. One moment, a man can believe in one thing, then another the next. It is by experiencing and learning that you truly find yourself. Evelyn knew this. She had found her place with the X-Men, by Kurt's side, defending Charles Xavier's dream until the end. It was what she felt she had to do, because she felt at peace with the odds because she knew she was doing a good thing for the world.

She had no regrets, and that was the only way to live. You cannot change the past, but you can define your future.

Make sure that the ends are more than worth the means.

.:: The Sound of My Vendetta ::.

With a bit of convincing on Kurt's side (and complaining on Evelyn's), Hank opted for her to start getting the strength back into her arm since the injury was indeed looking better. She removed the sling that night. Her arm felt weak and more than a little bit sore, but it was out of the confining thing, and that was enough.

Kurt was certainly more than glad to see her out of the sling, as well. He moved his arms around her, grinning brightly and swaying slowly.

"Good evening, Mrs. Wagner," he whispered. He had been using that as her pet name ever since she teased him about it. He was not one to forget such a thing, honestly.

"I s**hould **get used to being called that. I like it a lot." "Do you now?" The amusement was more than evident in his voice.

It was hard not to laugh, on Evelyn's part. The tone in his voice was curious enough to be innocent, despite the opposite being blatantly obvious in the way he was caressing her sides and brushing his lips along her neck and shoulder.

"Yes, actually, I do. I like it almost as much as you like being called Mr. Wagner, you deviant."

He paused. "You're complaining."

"No, I'm complying. Now come here and take advantage of the fact that we convinced Hank to finally let me take that annoying thing off."

_Epilogue_

_One Year Later_

"I do expect you to have those essays done by the end of next week. I'm feeling generous, so I'll let you enjoy this weekend. I'll see you all on Monday. We'll begin the planning process then. Class is dismissed."

One by one, students shuffled out of the classroom, their muffled conversations further silenced by the shrill ringing of the bell. Evelyn Wagner made sure to bid her students a goodbye when the offered her a thankful smile for the weekend break. Any student appreciated a teacher who didn't give homework over the weekend, she knew that much.

She began to pack her things after the last student had made their way through the door and out into the school's hall. Afterward, she exited herself, bumping into a sturdy mass of fur in a lab coat.

"Someone is certainly in a rush, aren't we?"

"Hello, Hank. I'm really sorry but… yeah, I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

A bark of a laugh resounded through the blue and furry man before he settled his paw on her shoulder, an almost Cheshire cat grin on that face. "I'm fine, my dear, don't worry about me. I got a message from Scott earlier. The X-Men are on their way back. No casualties, minor scratches at most. They are expected back during the evening. Could this be why you seem to be in such a hurry to get home, perhaps?"

The woman flushes, one hand nervously brushing through her newly layered and shorter hair. She had changed in attitude and appearance in the last year. Those eyes thawed and became much more expressive, as had the woman they belonged to. Her body was less weak-looking, having filled to look healthy and fit. Her complexion was also pinkish, rather than pallid. She looked much happier and free, which in turn, made others see her as this older woman who was wise beyond her years.

Especially her good friend and confidant, Henry McCoy, who was giving her a somewhat smug look that made her mumble an apology before rushing away.

Hank then chuckles under his breath and begins his trek back to the lab in the bowels of the Xavier's Institute for Higher Learning.

.:: The Sound of My Vendetta ::.

"So, elf, are you excited to be goin' home to the missus?" "_Ja_, I really am. I've been gone for a week now. Lord knows what she's gotten herself into with the students. Managing my drama class and tutoring students for English? She's only one woman."

Logan scoffed and shrugged his shoulders as if in disbelief at how Kurt was speaking.

"Do you really think that, elf? I've known her for just as long as you have. She will be just fine. The girl has dealt with death and sufferin' and God knows what else. And here you are; worryin' about her gettin' overworked at a job she loves? Don't be stupid. I'm sure the only thing you've gotta worry about it what she'll be like when you come home after a week of being away."

Kurt laughed. "I don't think it will be bad at all, Logan. You'll see."

The jet, along with the team, did arrive during the evening of that same day. As per usual, the students were at the foyer to greet their teachers and idols. After the reunions were done with, they all waltzed off to enjoy their dinner while the teachers began to unwind. Kurt, however, was getting ready to go home and back to his wife.

"Say hello to Eve for me!" You know I will, Kitty. I'm sure she'll love hearing from you." Even as a full adult, Katherine Pryde still held that cheerful demeanor. But she had an inner leader that showed in the field. All the X-Men who knew her could see it; plain as day.

It wasn't too long after that conversation that Kurt found himself opening the door to his and Evelyn's home, then entering the too-familiar hallway that was warmly lit with a bit of candlelight. He could see his wife's dark hair from the top of the back of the couch, and he silently crept up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders.

As always, there was that quick second of tenseness, but it melted into relief and excitement when she registered whose hands those were. She brought her lips to his palm. He then moved around the couch to sit next to her, wrapped his arms around her, and held her tightly until he felt her shift nervously in his embrace.

"Kurt… I need to tell you something. You have to promise to hear me out, though."

Those were indeed words to be weary of. Had something happened to her while he had been gone? Did she get hurt? His chest tightened in a moment of sheer panic and worry, but he swallowed the spew of questions to allow her the explanation.

She looked absolutely nervous. It made him worry more. "I've been feeling a bit off lately. You know I don't like hospitals or doctors much, but I trust Hank, so I went to him to see if there was a bug going around and if I had caught it. And…" she trailed off, looking away with a look of nervous timidity and partial fear.

Why would she ever be afraid?

"You can tell me anything, Evelyn. I'm sure what Hank found can't be life-threatening? Or is it? If it's about the money, you know we've been saving with both our jobs and we're perfectly fine—I mean…" he stopped himself. He had promised to let her explain before he shot off guesses like a rocket.

To his slight relief, she laughed, but it was a breathy laughter that sounded bittersweet and not all that honest. She was still stressed about whatever it was. "Please tell me, _lieb_."

She takes his hand in hers, squeezing a bit like she just needed to feel his familiar warmth. The female mutant then takes a deep breath before letting it out and looking him in the eyes.

"You're going to be a father, Kurt."

**And that is the end of a long and highly rewarding journey. But don't worry. I'll be back pretty soon with a brand new story. Look on my profile for regular updates. I have a new laptop computer and I will definitely be more active on it. **

**Once again, thank you for being here with me on this amazing piece of my life. It means so much to me. May all of you achieve your dreams and remember to be true to yourself and never give up on what you believe.**

**Until next time.**

**-Peanut Potter**


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